§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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 on behalf of the Crown given by alleged accomplices 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; how many people are presently awaiting trial as a result of evidence obtained from alleged accomplices; and how many people have been found not guilty, or not guilty on appeal, on the basis of such evidence.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 16 February 1987. c.463]: One person was convicted and two persons acquitted in cases concerning scheduled offences during 1986 following trials in which the evidence of a former accomplice was given on behalf of the Crown or on the basis of their statements of admission made during 727W enquiries arising from the evidence of a former accomplice. A further 52 persons had their convictions overturned on appeal. There were no instances of an alleged accomplice withdrawing his or her evidence.
There have been no such trials so far in 1987 but two persons are still awaiting trial as a result of statements of admission made to the police.