Security (Hansard, 9 March 1989)

§ 10. Rev. Ian Paisley
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.

§ 14. Mr. Duffy
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.

§ 15. Mr. Leigh
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.

§ 23. Mr. Molyneaux
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation.

§ Mr. Riddick
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the latest security situation in Northern Ireland.

§ Mr. Tom King
The House will be aware of the explosion at Buncrana road, Londonderry last night in which two soldiers were tragically killed and six of their colleagues were injured. The House will also be aware of the indiscriminate shooting attack at Coagh village on Tuesday afternoon in which three civilians died. The total deaths since I last answered questions in the House on 9 February are 13. This includes three soldiers and 10 civilians. The Provisional IRA claimed responsibility for eight of these murders, the IPLO for one, while the remaining four are thought to have been carried out by Loyalist terrorist groups.
These figures confirm the serious warnings that the RUC has given about the high security threat, against which the security forces are maintaining their high level of response.
Since the beginning of the year 53 persons have been charged with serious offences including four with murder and seven with attempted murder. A total of 99 weapons, over 9,400 rounds of ammunition and 154 lbs of explosives have been recovered in Northern Ireland. I understand that the Garda Siochana has recovered 21 weapons, 9,500 rounds of ammunition, and 175 lbs of explosives.