§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Home Secretary received a plea from relations of those murdered in the Real IRA bombing in Omagh in August 1998 asking that any new anti-terrorism legislation should ensure that associates of the Real IRA could no longer fund-raise in the United Kingdom; and if so, what was his response. [HL360]
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal)The Omagh Victims Legal Action Group wrote to the Home Secretary on 29 November 2001 asking the Government to criminalise the 32 County Sovereignty Movement and similar organisations.
The position now is as it was then. The Government believe that the Real IRA and the 32 County Sovereignty Movement are inextricably linked. However, on the basis of evidence available, the Government assess that the 32 County Sovereignty Movement is not concerned in terrorism, as defined in statute. However, the Real IRA is proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000.
In this country it is a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act 2000 to raise funds for an organisation concerned in terrorism. These provisions apply to any organisation, whether proscribed or not, in order to stop funds flowing to terrorists.