asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints have been made under Section 13 of the Police Act (Northern Ireland) 1970, since the Act came into force; in how many such complaints a report has been sent to the Attorney-General; how many such reports have resulted in the institution of criminal proceedings; and in how many cases such proceedings have terminated in a conviction.

Mr. van Stranbenzee:

2,617 complaints were received up to 11th December 1973, of which 471 were referred to the Attorney-General and the Director of Public Prosecutions (Northern Ireland). As a result, criminal proceedings were instituted in 14 cases, one of which is pending. Three of the remaining 13 cases resulted in convictions.

I thank the hon. Gentleman for those figures. Does he agree that this is one of the more abrasive factors in Northern Ireland politics? I do not intend to cast any reflection on the RUC as a whole, but does the hon. Gentleman agree that those figures show that there is a case for a complaints procedure that is manifestly seen to be independent, so that all those concerned are satisfied that there is no whitewashing?

The hon. and learned Gentleman follows these matters closely and he will have noticed that this subject is referred to in what has become known as the Sunningdale communiqué. He will not expect me to go any further this afternoon, but I agree with the general thesis he set out. I find that the vast majority of police officers in all parts of the United Kingdom would wish to have a procedure of this kind.

Will my hon. Friend confirm that the RUC has a very fine record, especially in terms of its rate of detection before these troubles started, which was the highest in the United Kingdom? Is my hon. Friend aware that, facing the difficulties that it has over the past three years, the record of the force has been exemplary and the number of cases proved against its members very, very small?

It is because it is a force of very high standards that its members will wish to have a complaints procedure which can be seen by all to be perfectly fair.