§ Rev. William McCreaTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Provisional Irish Republican Army suspects have been arrested and brought into police holding centres in Armagh and Castlereagh within the past two years and subsequently released without charges.
§ Mr. Stanley[holding answer 15 February 1988]: The total number of persons detained in Northern Ireland under section 12 of the Prevention of Terrorism 98W (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984 during the period 1 January 1986 to 31 December 1987 was 2,768. Of those, 701 were subsequently charged with criminal offences and the remainder were released without charge. The figure for the numbers of those released without charge who are believed to have been members of the Provisional IRA is not readily available.