§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what is the number of prisoners refused bail for each year since 1980; and what is the average period of remand without bail for accused persons charged either wholly or in part on the basis of accomplice evidence in each of the following categories (a) the top decile of prisoners awaiting trial for the longest period, (b) the top quartile of prisoners awaiting trial for the longest period, (c) the second quartile of prisoners awaiting trial for the longest period and (d) the average period of remand for all prisoners charged on the basis of such evidence;
(2) what was the average period of remand without bail. in each of the following cases involving accomplice witnesses' evidence of (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 accomplice evidence;
(3) how many persons accused of terrorist-type offences on the basis of accomplice witness 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 accomplice witness testimony; and how many persons have been released following the retraction of testimony by accomplice witnesses;
(4) what was the portion and number of persons accused of terrorist-type offences on the basis, either wholly or in part, of accomplice witnesses' testimony who were accorded bail; and what was the equivalent proportion of persons accused of terrorist crimes who were not charged on the basis of accomplice testimony who were accorded bail in 1985;
(5) if he will give the number of cases in which persons were convicted of scheduled offences in Northern Ireland in 1985 on the basis of evidence given by accomplices on behalf of the Crown and in which evidence other than that of the accomplice, either forensic, from witnesses other than convicted terrorists or by an admission of guilt from the accused, was also used to obtain the conviction;
(6) how many persons were detained under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1973 and 1978 in 1985;
(7) how many persons were detained in connection with terrorist-type offences under Acts other than the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts and the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Acts in 1985;
(8) what information he has concerning the number of people who were detained in 1985 under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978 and who were charged with scheduled offences under the Act, and other Acts, separately;
(9) if he will make a statement concerning the operation of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978 in 1985 with regard to the annual 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 nd (f) 60 to 72 hours, indicating those numbers (i) not ultimately charged under the Act and released, (ii) those charged under the Act, (iii) those 77W charged with an offence but not under the Acts, indicating which offences and (iv) those charged under the Act but not initially detained under that Act;
(10) how many people have been convicted in the current year, either on their own admission of guilt or following a plea of not guilty, on the basis of evidence given by accomplices on behalf of the Crown in cases concerning scheduled offences in Northern Ireland; how many suspects arrested on the basis of such evidence have been released as a result of the retraction of evidence given by accomplices; and how many people are presently awaiting trial as a result of evidence obtained from terrorist accomplices.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons detained under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts were charged with (a) offences under the Acts and (b) offences under other Acts in 1985.
§ Mr. ScottIn 1985, five people detained in Northern Ireland under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984 were charged with offences under that Act. Two hundred and forty two were charged with offences under other Acts or with common law offences.