HC Deb 13 July 1987 vol 119 cc361-3W
Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many extensions of detention requested by the police under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984 have been personally considered and granted or refused by (a) the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (b) a junior Minister for the Home Department, (c) a Home Office official, (d) the Secretary of State for another Department and (e) a junior Minister for another Department.

Mr. Hurd

Of the requests by the police for extensions of detention under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984 made to the Secretary of State for the Home Department(a) my predecessor and I have personally considered 161 and granted 159 (b) a Minister of State or Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department considered 14 and granted 13 and (c) (d) and (e) none were decided by a Home Office official, or Secretary of State or junior Minister for another Department.

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there are any plans to publish in his Department's quarterly statistics on the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts the numbers of complaints made against the police in relation to the Prevention of Terrorism Act which are made available to the Prevention of Terrorism Act Commissioner.

Mr. Hurd

No.

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons excluded under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts were originally detained in London.

Mr. Hurd

I shall reply as soon as possible.

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons excluded under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts 1974, 1976 and 1984 were excluded direct from prison after completing a prison term.

Mr. Hurd

I shall reply as soon as possible.

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used to decide whether a person requesting a review of his exclusion order made under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1974, 1976 or 1984 is granted one.

Mr. Hurd

All exclusion orders now in force have been made under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1984. Orders made under this Act have a three-year life. Each order is reviewed about six months before it expires before I decide whether to make a new order on the expiry. In considering a request for a review of an exclusion order before that time, I take into account the factors which led to the making of the order and the time which has elapsed since it was made.

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons whose exclusion order made under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts 1974 and 1976 and revoked during the three-year comprehensive review process had attended an interview with the Metropolitan police.

Mr. Hurd

The information requested is not readily available.

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals were successfully contacted from 1984 in connection with the comprehensive review of exclusion orders made under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts 1974 and 1976 that were still in force.

Mr. Hurd

The information requested is not readily available, I will reply as soon as possible.

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many excludees had attended interviews with a Home Office adviser prior to having their exclusion order revoked as a part of making representations against their order within the specified period following removal under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976 and 1984.

Mr. Hurd

Only under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984 has someone who made representations against his exclusion order following removal from Great Britain or Northern Ireland of the United Kingdom had a right to an interview with an adviser. There have been six completed cases of representations, against exclusion orders made in Great Britain under that Act, following removal. In two of these cases, in both of which the excluded person had had an interview with an adviser, the Home Secretary revoked the exclusion order.

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were initially offered an interview with a Home Office adviser as part of the representations against their exclusion order under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts 1974, 1976 or 1984; and how many declined to attend.

Mr. Hurd

Twelve people were offered interviews with a Home Office adviser as part of the representations made against their exclusion order made under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1974. None declined to attend. Under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976 there was, and there is under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984, a statutory right for a person who has been served with notice of the making of an exclusion order to include in his or her representations against the order a request for a personal interview with an adviser. Under the 1976 Act, if the excluded person had not been removed with his consent from Great Britain or Northern Ireland or the United Kingdom, he or she had to be granted a personal interview with the adviser. Under the 1984 Act, this right extends to a person who has been removed.

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals held under the international provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984 and against whom an extension of detention was authorised by the Secretary of State were (a) subsequently charged with an offence or (b) deported under the Immigration Act 1971.

Mr. Hurd

I shall reply as soon as possible.

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of international terrorism there have been in (a) the Metropolitan police area, and (b) the rest of Britain during the following periods: (i) 1 January 1981 to 29 March 1984, and (b) since 30 March 1984 to the latest date for which figures are available.

1981 May—December 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 January—June 1987
Shooting incidents 1 3 2 3
Bombing incidents exploded 9 3 4 6 2 2
neutralised or failed to explode 1 2 1 4 4 5
Arson attacks 1
Kidnappings 1 1
Hi jacking of aircraft 1

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals arrested on suspicion of involvement in international terrorism since 30 March 1984 were arrested under the ordinary criminal law rather than the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984 in (a) the Metropolitan police area, and (b) the rest of Britain.

Mr. Hurd

The number of persons suspected of involvement in international terrorism who are arrested under other legislation than the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984 is not recorded, and could not readily be obtained.

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