§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to reduce civil disorder arising from religious intolerance in Northern Ireland. [74019]
§ Jane KennedyWe have all been appalled and shocked at the nightly scenes of violence we have witnessed during the summer at interface areas in North and East Belfast. The Government has been proactive in attempting to bring calm and restore order to these areas. During September, my colleague the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State held a series of meetings with elected and community representatives.
A number of security fences have been heightened and the police have introduced a matrix of CCTV cameras in North Belfast which has resulted in a number of arrests. A similar project is underway for the Cluan Place/Clandeboye interface in the east of the city. Recently the police and army established a high profile presence on both sides of the community in East Belfast. All of these measures have contributed to a degree of peace that now exists at these interfaces.