§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many terrorist offences were recorded in England and Wales in 1980, 1981 and 1982; and what is the latest available figure for 1983.
§ Mr. HurdThere are no terrorist offences as such in the law of England and Wales. The total number of incidents in England and Wales since 1980 which are known or believed to have been the responsibility of organisations dedicated to the use of violence for political ends is as follows:
Numbers 1980 31 1981 23 1982 26 1983 (to 1 June) 23 Because of difficulties of interpretation these figures can only be relied on to give a broad indication of the position.
§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons died as a result of acts of terrorism in England and Wales in 1980, 1981 and 1982; and what is the latest available figure for 1983.
§ Mr. MellorThe number of homicides attributed to acts of terrorism is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales" (table 4.5 of the latest 215W volume for 1981, Cmnd. 8668). There were four such homicides in 1980 and three in 1981; the provisional number for 1982 is 11. No such homicides have so far been recorded for 1983.