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Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

The Select Committee very appropriately made that point. We have recently seen events in the Republic of Ireland which indicate that. All paramilitary groups have criminal tentacles. It is difficult to see that some of the loyalist paramilitary groups have any political objective any more—it seems to be pure gangsterism—although it is not quite the same in the case of the dissident republicans.In answer to the question of whether dealing with day-to-day crime unrelated to paramilitary activity of the kind identified by the Select Committee would be hampered, I do not think that it would be at all. On the contrary, an enhanced capability could help in every respect.