HC Deb 03 November 1998 vol 318 cc499-500W
Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice has been given, and what administrative guidelines issued, to ensure that an arrested person is aware of the implications of failing to mention a material fact concerning the offence of belonging to a proscribed and specified organisation; and if he will place in the Library a copy of such documents. [56316]

Mr. Straw

A letter was sent on 11 September to all Chief Officers of Police in England and Wales outlining the provisions of the Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Act 1998 and advising that where a suspect has been arrested for an offence relating to membership of a proscribed organisation which is also specified, the interviewing officer should give a special warning after the standard caution. I have placed a copy of the letter in the Library.

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have been(a) charged, (b) summarily convicted and (c) convicted on indictment under section 2 or the equivalent section of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 relating to membership of a proscribed organisation in each year since enactment; what percentage of those convicted in each year received a prison sentence; and what percentage of those were sentenced to a term of less than one year. [56315]

Mr. Straw

Information is not collected centrally on the number of people charged.

We have no record of any prosecutions or convictions in England and Wales for offences under section 2 since the 1989 Act came into force.