CONSERVATIVE
New Forest East

NORTHERN IRELAND – TERRORISM - 18 July 2001

NORTHERN IRELAND – TERRORISM - 18 July 2001

Dr Julian Lewis: What progress has been made on the dismantling of the structures of terrorism in Northern Ireland since April 1998?

[SUPPLEMENTARY:] I realise that the security forces are still fighting against the structures of terrorism, as the Secretary of State [John Reid] says. Does he recall that during the referendum campaign on the Belfast agreement in May 1998, the Prime Minister repeatedly said in speeches and wrote in articles that it would not be enough merely to decommission weapons, but that the paramilitary structures of terrorism must progressively be dismantled? We know that, sadly, the former has not been achieved. Has any progress been made with the latter objective?