§ Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the operation of the Northern Ireland Emergency Provisions Act 1987 as it applies to preventing the use of extortion rackets to fund paramilitary activities.
§ Mr. StanleyUnder part III of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1987 it became an offence, from 1 January 1988, to provide or to offer to provide security guard services for reward without a certificate issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. My right hon. Friend may refuse to issue such a certificate, or may revoke one which is already in force, if he is satisfied that a proscribed organisation or an organisation closely associated with a proscribed organisation would he likely to benefit from the issue of the certificate.
To date 50 certificates have been issued. Although no applicant has been refused a certificate, a number of firms have not applied for one. Our understanding is that these companies have ceased trading as a result of the legislation. We believe therefore that the provisions are having their desired effect of inhibiting the exploitation of security requirements by paramilitary organisations.