Oral Answers to Questions

Glyn Davies Excerpts

Wednesday 9th February 2011 Commons Chamber

[John Woodcock (Barrow and Furness) (Lab/Co-op)]

6. What recent assessment he has made of the threat to security in Northern Ireland from dissident groups.

[Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire) (Con)]

9. What recent assessment he has made of the level of threat to security in Northern Ireland posed by residual terrorist groups; and if he will make a statement.

[The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Mr Hugo Swire)]

The threat level in Northern Ireland remains at severe. So far this year there have been 15 arrests and three persons charged with terrorist-related offences. This follows 210 arrests and 80 persons charged in 2010. The severity of the threat was highlighted by the recent Antrim road incident, for which there have been three arrests in the past 48 hours. This attack not only endangered lives but also caused major disruption to local communities and businesses.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Swire]

Clearly we do, because we have endorsed it. These things do not come out of the blue. We are working very closely with the PSNI. We continue to work with the Department of Justice and David Ford, and we continue to work with the Treasury. The hon. Gentleman needs to think about the sums of money that are involved in all these things. He would surely agree that it is only fit, right and proper that the Treasury looks at all applications for funding very closely so that we do not find ourselves in the same hole that we were in when we came into power in May last year.

[Glyn Davies]

The recent third annual report of the independent reviewer of the Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 states:

“So far as terrorism is concerned, the activities of the residual terrorist groups have been dangerous and disruptive.”

What steps is my right hon. Friend taking to help Northern Ireland to combat this threat?

[Mr Swire]

The threat in Northern Ireland is extremely serious. The majority of people in Northern Ireland are against the residual terrorist groups, which have no support in the community and are disrupting businesses. In the case of the Antrim road incident, they put about 100 people out of their houses on one of the coldest nights of the year. We continue to work extremely closely with the PSNI. The PSNI works with the Garda in the Republic of Ireland to bear down on these terrorists. We are certain that we can do that and drive them out. They have no place in modern Northern Ireland—