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Terrorism: Death

Volume 477: debated on Tuesday 17 June 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths of (a) civilians and (b) members of the security services and armed forces have been caused by terrorist activity in the UK in each year since 1978. (196822)

[holding answer 26 March 2008]: The term ‘security services’ is interpreted as the police and intelligence agencies. We are not prepared to release the information requested with regard to the intelligence agencies due to the sensitive nature of their work.

The following table details the numbers of deaths recorded as being caused by terrorist activity in the UK since 1978. The table is broken down by year and into the categories of civilians and police and armed forces.

Deaths due to terrorist activity

England and Wales

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Total

Civilians

Police and armed forces

Civilians

Police and armed forces

Civilians

Police and armed forces

Civilians

Police and armed forces

Total

1978

4

50

31

54

31

85

1979

1

51

62

52

62

114

1980

10

50

26

60

26

86

1981

2

1

57

44

60

44

104

1982

11

57

40

68

40

108

1983

3

3

44

33

47

36

83

1984

8

36

28

44

28

72

1985

1

26

29

27

29

56

1986

2

37

24

39

24

63

1987

6

68

27

74

27

101

1988

1

1

55

39

1270

326

40

366

1989

11

39

23

39

34

73

1990

2

1

49

27

51

28

79

1991

3

75

19

78

19

97

1992

4

1

76

9

80

10

90

1993

3

70

14

73

14

87

1994

56

6

56

6

62

1995

8

1

8

1

9

1996

3

14

1

17

1

18

1997

17

5

17

5

22

1998

53

2

53

2

55

1999

3

7

10

10

2000

18

18

18

2001

17

17

17

2002

13

13

13

2003

1

11

11

11

2004

5

5

5

2005

152

5

61

61

2006

3

3

3

2007

3

1

4

4

Total

112

30

1070

490

271

1465

507

1973

1Notes:

1988—the 270 civilian deaths in Scotland in this year were caused by the Lockerbie bombing.

2005—the 52 civilian deaths in the UK in this year excludes the four suicide bombers who perpetrated the 7 July London bombings.