§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners had been convicted of terrorist offences at the most recent convenient date; and how many of these were serving life sentences;
(2) how many terrorist murderers were in prison in England and Wales on the most recent convenient date; and for how long the longest serving has been detained.
§ Mr. MellorThe only information which is readily available relates to prisoners who are currently in custody in England and Wales and in category A. It does not cover prisoners who have never been in category A or who have been removed from category A. As at 25 January 1985 there were 64 prisoners convicted of terrorist-type offences, of whom 34 were serving life sentences. Twenty-two prisoners were convicted of terrorist-type murders, the longest serving of whom was first received in custody in England and Wales in October 1973.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many terrorist murderers have been released from prison to date.
§ Mr. MellorThe only information which is readily available on prisoners convicted of murders relating to terrorism concerns prisoners who were in custody in England and Wales in category A at the time of release. One such prisoner has been released; he was suffering from terminal cancer and died three days later.