Security (Hansard, 30 June 1988)

§ 10. Mr. William Ross
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent steps he has taken to improve security in Northern Ireland.

§ 20. Sir John Biggs-Davison
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about Her Majesty's Government's efforts to improve security in the Province.

§ Mr. Stanley
Expenditure on law and order in Northern Ireland this year will be at its highest-ever level in real terms. The full-time strength of the RUC is also at its highest-ever level. A third brigade headquarters comes into being tomorrow with specific operational responsibility for the border area. Certain new legislative measures to combat terrorism and racketeering are under parliamentary consideration now and more will be being proposed. Cross-border security co-operation has improved and will be improved further.

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

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

§ Mr. Tom King
I refer the right hon. Gentleman and the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Brent, East (Mr. Livingstone).

§ 30. Mr. Flannery
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will next meet Ministers of the Irish Republic to discuss security issues.

§ Mr. Tom King
I refer the hon. Member to a reply I gave earlier to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Mr. Hunter.)

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

§ Mr. Tom King
Since 26 May 1988, nine people have been killed in Northern Ireland. These deaths include the murder of a full-time UDR soldier by the Provisional IRA; the murder of two civilians in Belfast and the murder by the Provisional IRA of six soldiers in a charity event at Lisburn on 15 June. The Provisional IRA also claimed responsibility for the death of one of the civilians and whilst no organisation has claimed responsibility for the other death, it is believed to have been the work of a Loyalist paramilitary group.
The efforts of the security forces are continuing to yield results. Since the beginning of the year a total of 182 people have been charged with serious offences, including 11 with murder and 10 with attempted murder. A total of 307 weapons, approximately 70,400 rounds of ammunition and about 4,100 lb of explosives have been recovered in Northern Ireland.
I also understand that the Garda Siochana has recovered some 200 weapons, almost 141,000 rounds of ammunition and 600 lb of commercial explosives.