Northern Ireland: Northern Bank

HL Deb 24 February 2005 vol 669 cc221-2WA

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the statement of Chief Constable Hugh Orde that the Northern Bank notes stolen in the £26.5 million Belfast robbery were merely "waste paper" is accurate and valid. [HL1210]

Baroness Amos

The chief constable's comment followed the Northern Bank's decision to withdraw from circulation its current bank notes, and replace them with notes of a different colour and style. Given the expected timetable of a change over, any move to achieve the value of the stolen notes exposes those responsible for the robbery to the risk of detection thereby rendering the notes valueless.