§ Mr. Kevin McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many people were detained in the most recent full calendar year under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978; and how many were charged with scheduled offences under that Act and other Acts;
(2) in respect of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978, for the most recent full calendar 123W year, what was the yearly total of arrests made under the Act; and how many persons arrested under the Act were detained for the following periods (a) up to 12 hours, (b) 12 to 24 hours, (c) 24 to 36 hours, (d) 36 to 48 hours, (e) 48 to 60 hours and (f) 60 to 72 hours, indicating those numbers (i) not ultimately charged under the Act and released, (ii) those charged under the Act and (iii) those charged with an offence but not under the Act, indicating which offences, and (iv) those charged under the Act but not initially detained under the Act.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 8 February 1985, c. 712]:One thousand three hundred and twenty six arrests were carried out by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and 241 by members of the armed forces under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978 in 1984.
Figures are not available showing whether those arrested by members of the armed forces were released or handed over to the Royal Ulster Constabulary. In the latter instance, such persons may subsequently have been rearrested by the police, and would therefore appear in both sets of figures.
Of those arrests carried out by the Royal Ulster Constabulary, in 1,103 of the cases the persons concerned were released without charge; in four cases persons were subsequently charged with offences under the Act only; in 10 cases persons were charged with offences under the Act as well as with other offences; and in 209 other cases persons were charged with offences under other legislation; 198 of the cases involved persons charged with scheduled offences, though details of the offences are not readily available. No-one was charged with an offence under the Act after arrest under other provisions.
Information on the length of time individuals were held under the Act could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.