§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by what means his Department apprises itself of the policies and views of Sinn Fein.
§ Mr. Ancram:The main sources of information about the policies and views of Sinn Fein are public ones such as written documents and reports of interviews. The Department will also, from time to time, receive unsolicited second-hand accounts relevant to Sinn Fein's policies and views from members of the community, some of whom may have had contact with members of that party. Constituency matters from Sinn Fein councillors are dealt with on the same basis as inquiries from other elected representatives. There have been occasions when Ministers and/or officials have met council delegations which have included a Sinn Fein councillor to discuss constituency matters.