Early day motion tabled by primary sponsor Harry Barnes (Labour), on Monday, 10 February 1992, in the House of Commons. It is signed by 9 members in total.

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INTERNMENT IN NORTHERN IRELAND

That this House believes that imprisonment without evidence or a fair trial is wrong in principle and that internment of suspected terrorists in Northern Ireland would be a mistake of historic proportions; recognises that, in the light of recent tragic incidents, calls for the introduction of internment may be understandable but that its introduction would be entirely counter-productive; further believes that internment would not only be an affront to civil liberties and put the British Government in the international dock but it would also, as in the past, increase support for paramilitaries, further divide communities along sectarian lines and sow confusion, anger and resentment in these communities that the paramilitaries could feed on; instead urges increased democracy, economic reform and support for peace activities to create the space for non-sectarian politics in Northern Ireland which could undermine paramilitary activities and allow wider demilitarisation of the Province; and stresses the urgency of economic reform since mass unemployment, poverty and deprivation provide the bitter breeding grounds for sectarianism and paramilitarism.

Amendments

The Early day motion has received an amendment.

INTERNMENT IN NORTHERN IRELAND (644A1)

The Early day motion has received an amendment sponsored by Lord Trimble (primary, Ulster Unionist Party) and tabled on Friday, 14 February 1992. It has been signed by 7 members in total.

leave out from 'House' to end and add 'notes that internment of terrorists without trial in Northern Ireland has been supported by Proinsias de Rossa, the Leader of the Workers Party in the Republic of Ireland, himself a former republican internee, and welcomes it as a sign of greater realism; regrets the fact that Cormac Bloomer, an SDLP councillor in West Belfast was compelled to resign from his party for expressing the same opinion; and believes that there would be no need for internment if the SDLP and other Catholic community leaders displayed the same willingness to support whatever measures are necessary to defeat terrorism as Mr de Rossa.'.

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Secondary information

Type

Early day motion

Reference

644 

644A1 

Session

1991-92

Subjects

Custodial treatment Northern Ireland Terrorism

Link

View this Early day motion on www.parliament.uk