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Northern Ireland

The Secretary of State will be aware that the young soldiers based at Massereene were part of the international security assistance force destined for Afghanistan. My right hon. Friend the Member for Belfast, East (Mr. Robinson) and I had the privilege of meeting some of those young men and women in Afghanistan last year. They are working for peace and democracy in Afghanistan, but the Real IRA—so-called—is on the same side as the Taliban and al-Qaeda; it trades in terror and in violence. As we approach St. Patrick's day, with a focus on that in the United States, we should be driving that message home to the Americans. A tiny number of Americans still support these organisations, and they need to understand what they are supporting. Members of the Northern Ireland security guard service, which is responsible for guarding military bases in Northern Ireland, are concerned about a review of that service that has been undertaken. They are concerned for their own safety, and they want to have proper equipment. Will the Secretary of State speak with his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence to ensure that the service is well equipped and has the resources that it needs to improve security at military bases so that this kind of attack can be prevented in future?