asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make a statement about the supply of money, arms and ammunition to terrorists in Northern Ireland.
Following are the monthly figures for shooting incidents, explosions, assassinations and deaths in Northern Ireland since July 1976. The monthly figures for injuries, divided geographically, could not be provided without disproportionate effort. Quarterly figures showing the number of persons injured in Northern Ireland as a whole were included in the reply I gave to the right hon. Member for Down, South (Mr. Powell) on 27th January.—[Vol. 924, c. 778—82.]
As far as arms and ammunition are concerned, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to his Question on 2nd December—[Vol. 921. c. 1141–3]—by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State.
Illegal activities in Ireland, including extortion and armed robberies, probably constitute the most important source of finance for terrorists, although funds from supporters abroad, particularly in the United States, also make a significant contribution. Funds from armed robberies in Northern Ireland appear to have declined during the past years, as also do those obtained from abroad.
Our diplomatic missions abroad, especially in the United States of America, do everything in their power to counter Provisional propaganda, and Ministers on visits to the United States
Number of cases
| Gross expenditure
| Contributions received and costs recovered
| ||||
| £ | £ | |||||
| Civil legal aid cases | … | … | … | 3,675 | 255,698 | 182,733 |
| Criminal legal aid cases | … | … | … | 7,311 | 533,054 | Not applicable |