§ 4. Mr. ReedTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland. [10851]
§ 25. Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland. [10873]
§ Jane KennedyThis year has seen, among others, the murders of Ciaran Cummings, the schoolboy Gavin Brett, the journalist Martin O'Hagan and 19-year-old Peter McNally. Up to 28 October, there have been 291 shooting incidents and 298 bombing incidents relating to the security situation.
Following advice from the Chief Constable about the involvement of the UDA, UFF and LVF, the Secretary of State specified these organisations on 12 October. The ceasefires of the other paramilitary groups are believed to be holding, although there is still a very real threat from dissident groups who want to destroy the peace process.
§ 23. Mr. David StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress the Government have made towards normalising the security environment in Northern Ireland. [10871]
§ Jane KennedyAlong with other measures, the Government have closed, vacated or demolished 43 Army installations since the ceasefires. On the basis of the Chief Constable's judgment that the IRA's decision to put a quantity of its arms completely beyond use represented a real improvement in the security situation, the Secretary of State announced that the following installations would also be demolished:
- the observation tower on Sturgan mountain and one of the observation towers on Camlough mountain in South Armagh;
- the supersangar adjacent to the helicopter landing site at Newtownhamilton Police Station; and
- the Magherafelt Army base.
Work to demolish all four installations has already commenced.