§ Mr. Banksasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prisoners are held in Her Majesty's Prisons in Northern Ireland for offences committed as members of the Irish Republican Army; and whether any have received any remissions against their sentences.
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§ Mr. John Patten[pursuant to his reply, 26 July 1982, c. 376.]: This information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, of 1,897 convicted prisoners held in custody on 18 July, it is estimated that approximately 75 per cent. were serving sentences for terrorist type offences committed on behalf of Republican and Loyalist paramilitary organisations.
All prisoners serving determinate sentences of over 12 months, irrespective of the nature of their offences, are 496W conditionally released half way through their sentence, subject however to any loss of remission for breaches of prison discipline. A prisoner who has been conditionally released, and who is convicted of an imprisonable offence during the currency of the remainder of his sentence, may be ordered by the court dealing with the subsequent offence to serve the unexpired portion of his original sentence.