HC Deb 16 February 1984 vol 54 cc306-9W
Mr. J. Enoch Powell

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the security statistics for 1983 are now available.

Mr. Prior

Yes. The following is the information:

Statistics on Security

Part I—Statistics on Terrorist Activity

  • Yearly totals 1971–82.
  • Six monthly totals January—June 1983.
  • Six monthly totals July—December 1983.

Statistics for Terrorist Activity comprise the following:

  1. (i) number of shooting incidents.
  2. (ii) number of explosions.
  3. (iii) number of bombs and devices neutralised.
  4. (iv) weight of explosives in bombs and devices neutralised.
  5. (v) number of malicious fires.
  6. (vi) number of armed robberies and amount stolen.
  7. (vii) number of deaths and injuries of RUC/RUC 'R', Army and civilians.

Part II—Statistics of Security Forces' Activity

  • Yearly totals 1971–82.
  • Six monthly totals January—June 1983.
  • Six monthly totals July—December 1983.

Statistics for Security Forces activity comprise the following:

  1. (i) number of houses searched.
  2. (ii) number of weapons, pounds of explosives and rounds of ammunition found.
  3. (iii) number of people charged with terrorist type offences (murder, attempted murder, explosives offences, firearms offences, armed robbery and other offences relating to the security situation eg arson, membership of illegal organisations etc.).

Statistics on Security—Part I (Yearly Figures)
1982 January-June 1983 July-December 1983
Shooting Incidents† 382(165) 136(59) 154(75)
Explosions 219 116 150
Bombs neutralised 113 53 48
Wt of exp in lbs*
Explosions 11,199 3,274 3,649
Neutralisations 7,300 5,125 2,378
Armed Robberies 580 263 359
Amount stolen 1,392,202 416,367 413,891
Malicious fires 499 231 297

Statistics on security—part II (yearly figures)
1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981
Houses searched* 17,262 36,617 74,556 71,914 30,092 34,939 20,724 15,462 6,452 4,106 4,104
Finds
Firearms 717 1,264 1,595 1,260 825 837 590 400 301 203 398
Ammunition (rds) 157,944 183,410 187,399 147,202 73,604 70,306 52,091 43,512 46,280 28,078 47,070
Explosives 2,748 41,488 38,418 26,120 11,565 21,714 3,809 2,108 1,996 1,810 7,536

Persons charged with terrorist type offences†
31 July-31 Dec 1972 1873 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981
Murder 13 71 77 138 120 131 60 45 63 48
Attempted murder 16 85 76 88 121 135 79 39 59 72
Firearms offences 242 631 545 460 353 301 225 177 112 155
Explosives offences 86 236 161 100 215 146 79 40 39 39
Theft act 111 186 239 314 188 203 151 159 128 158
Other 63 205 276 97 279 392 249 210 149 446
Total 531 1,414 1,374 1,197 1,276 1,308 843 670 550 918
* Includes occupied and unoccupied houses searched.
† These figures are not available in consolidated form for earlier years.

Statistics on Security—Part 10 (yearly figures)
1982 January-June 1983 July-December 1983
Houses searched* 4,045 878 616
Finds
Firearms 321 116 83
Ammunition (rds) 41,453 28,105 4,063
Explosives 5,066 1,603 2,159
Persons charged with Terrorist type offences
Murder 50 33 42
Attempted Murder 96 23 37
Firearms Offences 173 63 87
Explosives Offences 41 19 29
Theft Act 130 59 60

1982 January-June 1983 July-December 1983
Deaths
Civilians 57 15 29
Army/UDR 28 5 10
RUC/RUC 'R' 12 9 9
Injuries
Civilian 328 87 193
Army/UDR 98 47 41
RUC/RUC 'R' 99 30 112
* Estimated weight only
† Figures in ( ) refer to shots heard only and are not included in the total.

1982 January-June 1983 July-December 1983
Other 196 66 95
Total 686 263 350
* Includes occupied and unoccupied houses searched.

Notes:

  1. 1. The offence classifications are based on those used by the Crown and Peace Office in its annual return.
  2. 2. The tables relate to persons convicted at the Belfast Crown court. This Persons charged with Terrorist type offences covers all scheduled offences tried on indictment.
  3. 3. Some jury trials are included in cases where the Attorney General certified out of the scheduled mode of trial, that is non-terrorist serious offences.
  4. 4. Where a person has been convicted of more than one offence only the most serious or that which received the longest sentence is recorded in the statistics.

Convictions—For Scheduled Offences

July—December 1983

Offence Number convicted Noncustodial sentence Young Offenders Centre Training Schools Less than 5 years 5 years and less than 7 years 7 years and less than 10 years 10 years and less than 15 years 15 years and less than 20 years 20 years and over Life
Murder 8 8
Attempted Murder 7 2 2 3
Conspiracy to murder 4 1 1 2
Manslaughter 1 1
Wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm 4 3 1
Causing grievous bodily harm 6 1 1 4
Assault occasioning grievous bodily harm 13 9 4
Causing Explosion 2 1 1
Placing explosive
Possessing explosives with intent 3 1 2
Other explosive offences
Possessing a firearm with intent 13 3 2 7 1
Possessing a firearm
Carrying a firearm with intent 3 1 1 1
Other major firearms offences 17 7 4 4 1 1
Minor firearms offences
Robbery 83 24 10 22 16 11
Aggravated Burglary
Membership of illegal organisations 11 4 3 3 1
Unlawful collection of information 3 1 2
Illegal Training
Kidnapping and false Imprisonment
Contributing to resources of a Organisation 4 4
Soliciting support for proscribed Organisation
Malicious Damage
Possession of an offensive weapon
Hijacking 16 8 4 2 1 1
Arson 12 5 6 1
Petrol Bomb Offences 4 3 1
Criminal Damage
Escape Offences
Assisting Offenders 3 3
Intimidation 1 1
Withholding Information 7 7
Possessing Prohibited Articles 1 1
Common Law Riot
Conspiracy to arm Terrorists
Total 226 81 30 43 22 28 8 6 8