§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Orange parades, marches or disturbances have occurred in the vicinity of Drumcree in each month since June 1998; how many of these were legal parades; how many deaths or injuries can be associated with these disturbances; what was the additional financial cost of policing during the six months from July to December 1998; how many properties and vehicles have been damaged in the area; how many arrests have been made; in how many cases charges have been brought; and how many convictions have been secured. [69882]
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 8 February 1999]: There have been 75 Orange Order parades or marches since June 1998. Of these, 38 were legal. The table shows the breakdown by month:
Number 1998 July 18 August 33 September 6 October 4 November 6 December 6 1999 January 2 Total 75 It is not possible to assess the total number of injuries accurately. However, 72 police officers have been injured, including 1 fatality, Constable O'Reilly. 47 criminal injury claims have been submitted, including 2 by military personnel. During the period July to December 1998, the additional costs incurred in respect of the police presence have been approximately £0.4m per month.
There have been 27 recorded incidents of damage to property and 11 to vehicles.
There have been 132 arrests, 58 people charged and 33 convicted. 80 prosecutions are pending, including 28 being reported for illegal marches.