Sir Patrick Cormack FSA

Conservative Party | Staffordshire South

Question on Paramilitary Groups

Sir Patrick Cormack (South Staffordshire) (Con): I entirely endorse what the Secretary of State has just said and accept that there has been real and commendable progress since the Select Committee on Northern Ireland Affairs produced its report on organised crime last July, but is it not still very disturbing that, clearly, a number of former paramilitaries are involved, are intimidating people and are taking part in crimes such as fuel smuggling in particular?

Mr. Woodward: As the Minister of State said earlier, any crime must be condemned. Last year, the hon. Gentleman’s Committee produced a very important and useful report on organised crime. It rightly identified a number of problems. Criminality, of course, remains a problem. However—I was discussing this with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in the Republic yesterday—there is no question but that the unparalleled levels of co-operation between the communities, the Gardai and the PSNI are leading to a net being drawn more and more tightly around those who would peddle their criminality. Whatever disguise they may be using, they are criminals. It is the determination of the Chief Constable and the commissioner in the south to close the net on those people. I am glad to say that we are seeing that in action now.