Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Andrew MacKay (Conservative). It was answered on Wednesday, 15 June 2005 on behalf of the Northern Ireland Office.

Security Policy

Question: I, too, welcome the Secretary of State to his important new post, but put it to him that his answer was inevitably rather dismal and disappointing. Will he comment on the joint declaration, which made it absolutely clear that there could be no political normalisation until the IRA and other terrorist and paramilitary organisations had disbanded? Can we assume that he supports that policy as the new Secretary of State?

Answer: I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman. I stress that I think that we are at one in insisting that paramilitary activity and criminality are banished from Northern Ireland's politics, and even in saying that that should underpin Northern Ireland's politics. I am rather more concerned about the criminality at the moment because it is infecting the whole foundations of Northern Ireland's politics and seeping across the border into the south, so we are mindful of that.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 435 c249
Session: 2005-06
Oral question type: 1st Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Subjects: Northern Ireland Proscribed organisations Northern Ireland government Terrorism Security
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk