§ Lembit ÖpikTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made during the past 12 months in the police investigation into the bombing of Omagh on 15 August 1998; and if he will make a statement. [178924]
§ Mr. PearsonWithin the past 12 months one person has been charged with serious terrorist related offences, including one connected to the Omagh Bomb. There have been other significant developments that it would not be appropriate to disclose at this stage of the investigation.
§ Lembit ÖpikTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police officers are working on the investigation into the bombing of Omagh on 15 August 1998; and if he will make a statement. [178925]
§ Mr. PearsonThe Omagh investigation, by its nature, requires substantial resourcing. It is currently one of the largest and most protracted investigations ever to have been conducted within the United Kingdom. The actual number of officers deployed at any given time varies according to the most efficient use of resources within the Crime Operations Department.
§ Lembit ÖpikTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the investigation of the police into the bombing of Omagh on 15 August 1998 has ascertained what happened to the threat book from Omagh police station for the period covering the weeks immediately prior to 15 August 1998; and if he will make a statement. [178926]
§ Mr. PearsonThe Senior Investigating Officer has carried out detailed investigations into intelligence relating to threats in the period immediately prior to the 1243W Omagh Bomb. The threat book referred to was a document that recorded those threats and would not in itself add to the investigation.