Mr. J. Enoch Powellasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the security statistics for 1981 are now available.
§ Mr. PriorYes. I am including in the reply details of convictions obtained during the period July-December 1981. The following is the information:
PART I
Yearly totals for 1971–1981
Statistics of Terrorist Activity
Statistics for terrorist activity comprise the following:
- (i)Number of shooting incidents
- (ii)Number of explosions
- (iii)Number of bombs and devices neutralised
- (iv)Weight of explosives in bombs and devices neutralised
- (v)Number of malicious fires
- (vi)Number of armed robberies and amount stolen
- (vii)Number of deaths and injuries of RUC/RUC'R', Army and civilians
PART II
Statistics of Security Forces' Activity
Yearly totals for 1971–1981
Statistics for Security Forces' activity comprise the following:
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- (i)Number of houses searched
- (ii)Number of weapons, pounds of explosives and rounds of ammunition found
- (iii)Number of people charged with serious security type offences: (murder, attempted murder, explosives offences, firearms offences, armed robbery and other offences relating to the security situation e.g. arson, membership of illegal organisations etc.)
Statistics on Security Part I Yearly Figures 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 Shooting Incidents 1,756 10,628 5,018 3,206 1,803 1,908 1,081 755 728 642 815 Explosions 1,022 1,382 978 685 399 766 366 455 422 280 398 Bombs Neutralised 493 471 542 428 236 426 169 178 142 120 132 Weight of Explosives (in lbs)* In explosions 10,972 47,462 47,472 46,435 13,753 17,596 2,839 5,343 11,180.75 9,059 9,601 Neutralised 3,001 19,978 32,450 27,094 11,159 16,252 2,188 5,860.5 4,530.5 6,404.8 9,149 Armed Robberies 437 1,931 1,215 1,231 1,201 813 591 442 434 412 587 Amount Stolen £ 303,787 790,687 612,015 572,951 572,105 545,497 446,988 232,650 568,359 496,829 854,929 Malicious Firest † N/A N/A 587 636 248 453 432 269 315 275 475 Deaths: Civilians † 115 322 171 166 216 245 69 50 51 50 55 Army/UDR 48 129 66 35 20 29 29 21 48 16 23 RUC/RUC'R' 11 17 13 15 11 23 14 10 14 9 21 Injuries: Civilians 1,838 3,813 1,812 1,680 2,044 2,162 1,027 548 557 530 878 Army/UDR 390 578 548 483 167 264 188 135 153 77 140 RUC/RUC'R' 315 485 291 235 263 303 183 302 165 194 332 * Estimated Weight only.
† Consolidated figures not available for earlier years.
N/A No figure available.
Statistics on Security Part II Yearly Figures 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 Houses Searched† 17,262 36,617 74,556 71,914 30,092 34,939 20,724 15,462 Finds: Firearms 717 1,264 1,595 1,260 825 837 590 400 Finds: Ammunition (RDS) 157,944 183,410 187,399 147,202 73,604 70,306 52,091 43,512 Finds: Explosives (LBS) 2,748 41,488 38,418 26,120 11,565 21,714 3,809 2,108
Persons Charged with Serious Type Offences* 31 July—31 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 December 1972 Murder 13 71 75 138 120 131 60 Attempted Murder 16 85 75 88 121 135 79 Firearms Offences 242 631 544 460 353 301 225 Explosives Offences 86 236 161 100 215 146 79 Theft Act 111 186 232 314 188 203 151 Other 63 205 275 97 279 392 249 Total 531 1,414 1,362 1,197 1,276 1,308 843 * These figures are not available in consolidated form for earlier years.
† Includes occupied and unoccupied houses searched.
yearly figures 1979 1980 1981 Houses searched* 6,452 4,106 4.104 Finds: Firearms 301 203 398 Finds: Ammunition (rounds) 46,280 28,078 47,070 Finds: Explosives (pounds) 1,996.25 1,810 7,521 422W
Persons Charged with Serious Security Type Offences† 1979 1980 1981 Murder 45 63 48 Attempted murder 39 59 72 Firearms offences 177 112 155 Explosives offences 40 39 39 Theft act 159 128 158 Other 210 149 446 670 550 918 * Includes occupied and unoccupied houses searched.
† These figures are not available in consolidated form fot eatlier years.
Persons Convicted and Sentences Imposed at Belfast Crown Court
July—December 1981
Notes on the Table:
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- 1. The offence classifications are based on those used by the Crown and Peace Office in their annual return.
- 2. The tables relate to persons convicted at the Belfast Crown Court. This covers all scheduled offences tried on indictment.
- 3. Some jury trials are included in cases where the Attorney General certified out of the scheduled mode of trial, i.e. non-terrorist serious offences.
- 4. Where a person has been convicted of more than one offence only the most serious or that which received the longest sentences is recorded in the statistics.
Imprisonment July—December 1981 Offence Number Non- Borstal Less than 5 years 7 years 10 years 15 years 20 years Life convicted custodial or 5 years and less and less and less and less and over sentence Training than 7 than 10 than 15 than 20 Centre years years years years Murder 7 — — — — — — — — 7 Attempted murder 7 — — — 1 — 3 1 2 — Conspiracy to murder 2 — — — 2 — — — — — Manslaughter 4 1 — — — 1 2 — — — Wounding,with intent to do grievous bodily harm 5 — — 1 3 — — 1 — — Causing grievous bodily harm — — — — — — — — — — Assault occasioning grievous bodily harm 2 — 1 1 — — — — — — Causing explosion 6 2 — — — 2 1 1 — — Placing explosive — — — — — — — — — — Possessing explosives with intent 2 — — 1 — — 1 — — — Other explosive offences 2 — — 2 — — — — — — Possessing a firearm with intent 9 — — — — 4 4 1 — — Possessing a firearm — — — — — — — — — — Carrying a firearm with intent 6 2 1 3 — — — — — — Other major firearms offences 40 22 2 7 7 2 — — — — Minor firearms offences 1 1 — — — — — — — — Robbery 93 18 28 31 10 3 1 2 — — Aggravated burglary — — — — — — — — — — Hi-jacking 10 5 1 3 1 — — — — — Arson 28 14 7 3 4 — — — — — Petrol bomb offences 33 16 8 8 1 — — — — — Criminal damage — — — — — — — — — — Escape offences — — — — — — — — — — Assisting offenders 2 — 1 — — 1 — — — — Intimidation — — — — — — — — — — Withholding information 1 1 — — — — — — — — Possessing prohibited articles — — — — — — — — — — Common Law riot — — — — — — — — — — Membership of illegal organisations 5 3 — 2 — — — — — — Unlawful collection of information — — — — — — — — — — Illegal training — — — — — — — — — — Kidnapping and false imprisonment — — — — — — — — — — Contributing to resources of a proscribed organisation — — — — — — — — — — Soliciting support for a proscribed organisation — — — — — — — — — — Malicious damage — — — — — — — — — — Total 265 85 49 62 29 13 12 6 2 7