§ Lord Maginnis of Drumglassasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the police have been able to establish, within a timescale of a few hours, when the £55,000 of proceeds from the Northern Bank robbery was allegedly planted at the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Newforge Sports Club. [HL1545]
§ Baroness AmosThe investigation into the £50,000 of proceeds from the Northern Bank robbery recovered at Newforge Country Club is ongoing. As enquiries are continuing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.
§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 24 February (WA 221), whether they believe that the Real Irish Republican Army as well as the Irish Republican Army were involved in the Northern Bank robbery of December 2004. [HL1597]
§ Baroness AmosThe Chief Constable has publicly stated that in his professional opinion, and based on the intelligence to hand, responsibility for the Northern Bank robbery must be attributed to the Provisional IRA. That is still his view.
The Government fully accept the Chief Constable's judgment which has been further endorsed by the Independent Monitoring Commission in its report of 10 February 2005.