Written question asked by Harry Barnes (Labour) on Wednesday, 3 December 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 15 December 2003. It was answered by Ivor Caplin (Labour) on Monday, 15 December 2003 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Ministry of Defence

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Northern Ireland veterans are serving prison sentences. - Inc figure.

Answer: Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Northern Ireland veterans are serving prison sentences. [142744] Mr. Caplin: There are no routine statistics of this kind collected on veterans who have either served in Northern Ireland or who live there. The Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate survey, carried out in December 2001 in 76 prisons around the United Kingdom, found that 5.6 per cent. of prisoners were veterans of the armed forces, of which 11 per cent. had been in the Royal Navy, 4 per cent. were in the Royal Air Force and 85 per cent. were in the Army.

Secondary information