§ 7. Mr. HendrickTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the organised crime taskforce. [18099]
§ 11. Vernon CoakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what initiatives the Government have put in place to tackle organised crime in Northern Ireland. [18104]
§ 20. Mr. McCabeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the organised crime taskforce. [18113]
§ Jane KennedyI refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Dumbarton (Mr. McFall),Official Report, columns 320–21.
319W
§ 22. David TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to tackle(a) paramilitary and (b) organised crime in Northern Ireland. [18115]
§ Jane KennedyThe Government utterly condemn all paramilitary violence and intimidation and remain resolute in the fight against the illegal activities of paramilitary organisations. We will continue to ensure that the Chief Constable and the GOC have the resources at their disposal to meet the threat. With regard to organised crime, the Government are tackling this on a number of fronts. The organised crime problem is sophisticated and our response is too.
The organised crime taskforce has been in operation for just over a year and has overseen structural improvements in the way organised crime is tackled. Links between the various agencies are developing. This is leading to operational success such as the 42.5 million cigarettes seized in Warrenpoint Harbour during a search of a vessel which had just arrived from Latvia: the largest ever such seizure in the United Kingdom.
We must keep up the fight against organised crime and we must continue to increase the effectiveness of our response. We are in this for the long haul and everyone in Northern Ireland has a role to play in tackling organised crime.