§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many assaults described as punishment beatings have taken place in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years and in the current year to date; and what estimate he has made of the number carried out in each year by(a) the Provisional IRA, (b) other republican terrorists, (c) the UDA, (d) the UVF and (e) other loyalist organisations. [12861]
§ Sir John WheelerThe number of assaults described as punishment beatings for the period January 1991 to 26 January 1997 is:
Attributed to loyalist groups Attributed to republican groups Total 1991 22 40 62 1992 38 38 76 1993 35 6 41 1994 38 32 70 1995 76 141 217 1996 118 158 276 19971 7 12 19 1 As at 26 January 1997. It is not possible to specify which individual group carried out an offence. These figures do not include punishment shootings.