HC Deb 02 February 2004 vol 417 c718W
Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of estate agents who have been subject to violent threats to deter their provision of services and letting of properties to members of ethnic minority groups; and what steps have been taken by the police to(a) identify and (b) prosecute those responsible. [151140]

Jane Kennedy

In recent weeks the media reported that an estate agent in the Donegal Road area of Belfast had suffered intimidation from unknown persons who attempted to deter him from offering his services and letting property to members of ethnic minority groups, however no complaint has been made to the police in South Belfast by any estate agent.

As a result of these media reports, police officers contacted estate agents in the Donegal Road Area that let property about these allegations; however no estate agents subsequently reported any form of intimidation against them concerning their letting practices.