Oral Answers to Questions

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick Excerpts

Wednesday 15th September 2010 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down) (SDLP)]

1. What recent assessment he has made of the threat to security from paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

[David Simpson (Upper Bann) (DUP)]

3. What recent assessment he has made of the level of dissident republican activity in Northern Ireland.

[Ms Ritchie]

I join the Secretary in State in condemning attacks by dissident republicans on police personnel, property and community. I also join him in thanking the shadow Secretary of State and the shadow Minister for their work in Northern Ireland over recent years.

I would like to move on in respect of terrorist violence in Northern Ireland to today’s findings of the Independent Monitoring Commission, which state that the Ulster Volunteer Force leadership sanctioned the murder of Bobby Moffett and that it could have stopped it if it had wanted. I am sure that the Secretary of State and all Members would agree that that should be viewed very seriously. Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that it undermines the assurances that we were given about UVF decommissioning? Does he have no concerns that a decision not to re-categorise the UVF ceasefire will send a signal that a planned killing is par for the course and represents an acceptable level of violence? Does he further agree that all this raises the question of when is a ceasefire a ceasefire?

[Mr Speaker]

Order. In future, questions must be shorter. This really will not do.