Arms Decommissioning (Hansard, 7 December 1995)

§ 11. Mr. Gordon Prentice
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the number and type of illegally held firearms and ordnance and the percentage which would have to be decommissioned in order for all-party talks to commence. [3041]

§ Sir Patrick Mayhew
The security forces maintain information on illegal weapons holdings and supplies, but it would not be appropriate to make this public. There must be a credible and verifiable start to the process of decommissioning, sufficient to create the necessary circumstances of confidence for all-party round table talks to commence.

§ 16. Mr. Wilkinson
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which groups in Northern Ireland have expressed their support for the decommissioning of arms as a precondition for the commencement of all-party talks on the political future of Northern Ireland. [3047]

§ Mr. Ancram
The position of the individual groups on the decommissioning issue is a matter for them.
The Government's position is that we cannot see a way in which to secure the necessary confidence to bring all parties to the negotiating table without a start being made to the decommissioning of illegal arms.

§ 19. Mr. Whittingdale
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made on achieving the decommissioning of arms; and if he will make a statement. [3051]

§ 21. Mr. Maginnis
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made towards the establishment of a disarmament commission to deal with the disposal of illegal weapons in Northern Ireland. [3053]

§ Mr. Nicholas Winterton
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what quantity of arms has to date been decommissioned by Republican terrorist organisations in Northern Ireland. [3036]

§ Sir John Wheeler
There have been no illegally held arms or equipment decommissioned to date. However, as the House will be aware, the British and Irish Governments announced on 28 November that they have agreed to establish an international body to provide an independent assessment of the decommissioning issue. That body has now been established and has been asked to report to the two Governments by mid-January 1996.