§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, for each year since 1980, what was the average period of remand without bail for persons accused of terrorist type offences for each of the following categories in cases involving evidence of accomplice witnesses: (a) persons convicted, (b) persons acquitted and (c) persons who were released as a result of such evidence being retracted; and how these figures compare with those for persons charged with terrorist type offences on the basis of evidence other than that of accomplice witnesses.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 25 July 1984]: Information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons accused of terrorist type offences, either wholly or partially on the basis of accomplice witnesses' testimony, are currently awaiting trial in Northern Ireland; how many persons have been convicted and how many persons have been acquitted of such crimes after having been charged either wholly or partially on the basis of testimony of an accomplice witness; and how many people have been released following the retraction of testimony by accomplice witnesses in each year since 1980.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 25 July 1984]: There are currently 177 persons awaiting trial in Northern Ireland 135W in cases involving accomplice evidence. The additional information sought is not available in the form requested, but during the period from 1 January 1980 to 21 July 1984, 143 people were convicted in trials where accomplice evidence was tendered, 25 people were acquitted in such trials and 123 people were released following the retraction of accomplice testimony.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion and number of persons accused of terrorist type offences on the basis, either wholly or partially, of accomplice witnesses' testimony, are accorded bail; and what is the equivalent proportion of persons accused of terrorist crimes who are not charged on the basis of accomplice testimony who are accorded bail in each year since 1980.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 25 July 1984]: Information is not kept in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Maginnisasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will list incidents where terrorists have mounted attacks from within the Irish Republic on targets across the frontier in Northern Ireland since 1 January;
(2) if he will list incidents since 1 January where there is reasonable evidence that terrorists who mounted attacks against targets within Northern Ireland used the territory of the Irish Republic as a base from which to carry out these attacks or to retreat to afterwards.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 25 July 1984]: It would not be in the public interest for information which may be in the possession of the Royal Ulster Constabulary to be disclosed in relation to such incidents, where charges may yet be brought.
§ Mr. Maginnisasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the terrorist organisations claiming murders in Northern Ireland since 1 January and the numbers of murders thus attributable to each such organisation.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 25 July 1984]: As far as it is known, the terrorist groups which have publicly claimed responsibility for murders in Northern Ireland since 1 January, and the numbers of murders each has claimed, are as follows:
Numbers Provisional Irish Republican Army 22 Irish National Liberation Army 3 Irish Freedom Fighters 1 Ulster Freedom Fighters 1
§ Mr. Maginnisasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will list the number of terrorist incidents attributed to the Provisional Irish Republican Army since 1 January and the names of victims murdered as a consequence of these incidents;
(2) if he will list the number of terrorist incidents attributed to the Irish National Liberation Army since 1 January and the names of victims murdered as a consequence of these incidents;
(3) if he will list the number of terrorist incidents attributed to Protestant paramilitary organisations since 1 January and the names of victims murdered as a consequence of these incidents.
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§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 25 July 1984]: It is not possible with certainty to attribute responsibility for crimes to particular organisations in every case, but during the first six months of 1984, Republican terrorist groups are believed to have been responsible for 29 murders, 90 attempted murders and 121 explosions and Loyalist terrorist groups three murders, nine attempted murders and one explosion. Given the uncertainty in attributing responsibility for each incident, I do not think it would be appropriate to name the victims of these brutal attacks.
§ Mr. Maginnisasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons have been apprehended while in possession of explosives since 1 January.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he is prepared to disclose concerning the number of persons, and the length of remand without bail, for persons charged with, but not convicted of, terrorist type offences who are subsequently released, rearrested and recharged, giving the average length of remand without bail on each occasion of rearrest and the number of persons involved.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 25 July 1984]: Information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.