PARAMILITARY REPRESSION AND DECOMMISSIONING

Early day motion 118, tabled 11 July 2001 by Harry Barnes (Labour). Signed by 16 members.

That this House notes that paramilitary guns are not silent in Northern Ireland but that Loyalists and Republican paramilitary attacks have increased by almost 40 per cent. this year compared to the same period last year and that a total of 180 attacks, including 95 shootings and 85 assaults, were carried out from 1st January to 26th June this year, compared to 130 for the same period last year; is alarmed that figures for beatings also increased, with 41 Loyalists and 30 Republican beatings from 1st January to 30th May this year compared with 33 Loyalist and 22 Republican beatings in the same period last year and that the number of shootings has risen steadily in recent years; is further disturbed that, according to the Irish Times Security Correspondent, all paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland are reported to have continued to train and recruit new members and to gather intelligence on potential targets, that the IRA is known to have continued to import up to $2 million of weapons from America and, in the past 18 months, has killed eight people for alleged involvement in criminal activitiy, although it is suspected that the IRA itself organised the theft of an estimated ú4 million worth of cigarettes from Belfast docks on 8th June and may have total control of the supply of smuggled or tax-evaded cigarettes; and believes that this undermines the commonly asserted notion that paramilitary decommissioning is a red herring, whereas it is essential to the ending of paramilitary repression.

Signatures by party: Labour 9, Liberal Democrat 3, UUP 2, Conservative 1, Labour/Co-operative 1.