§ 21. Mr. DjanoglyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the level of terrorist violence in Northern Ireland. [2892]
§ Jane KennedyThe Government believe on balance that the main cease fires are holding. However, there remains a serious threat to the peace process from dissident republicans who have been responsible in recent months for a number of attacks including the use of Mark 15 "Barrack Buster" mortars, bomb attacks containing up to 10001bs of explosives and various booby trap devices. Loyalists are believed responsible for the recent murder of Ciaran Cummings and pipe bomb attacks in nationalist areas.
Both loyalists and republicans seek to exercise control over their own communities by carrying out attacks and acts of intimidation. So far this year there have been 184 such attacks: 118 by loyalists and 66 by republicans.