HL Deb 09 January 2002 vol 630 c110WA
Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they expect further IRA decommissioning to take place before the end of February 2002; and how they will respond if further decommissioning does not take place. [HL2190]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

I am sure we all would have hoped that the IRA and loyalist groups would have decommissioned by February. It is now extremely unlikely that this will be accomplished.

The Government have every confidence in General de Chastelain and his colleagues and we should all respect their wishes on how best to proceed to fulfil their mandate. To this end the process must continue, and the Government will continue to support the commission in its work, including providing the legislative framework for decommissioning.