Responding to Shaun Woodward’s statement today on the murder of two soldiers on Saturday night in Northern Ireland, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Owen Paterson said:
“I would first like to thank the Secretary of State for giving me advance sight of his Statement and for his call yesterday. I would like to join him in sending our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of Sapper Patrick Azimkar and Sapper Mark Quinsey and to those injured in this cowardly attack. The murdered men were about to travel to Afghanistan to serve their country and to support the Afghan people. The horrific events of the weekend bring into focus the bravery of all those who serve in the armed forces, the PSNI and the security services. We should also thank the emergency services and medical staff. We are all indebted to them.
“The Independent Monitoring Commission review confirmed our concerns about the dissident threat; we raised this again in the Chamber last Wednesday. This attack follows a succession of near misses on police.
“The Chief Constable has been consistent and increasingly public about the severity of the threat posed by dissident republican groups. I would like to confirm our firm support for the operational independence of the Chief Constable. Like every other Chief Constable in the UK he must have the right to enlist the help of specialists. Will the Secretary of State confirm that the decision of the Chief Constable to call in reconnaissance experts would not have been affected had Criminal Justice and Policing been devolved?
“The aim of these attacks is to try and disrupt normal policing, forcing police into barracks and armoured vehicles, away from the public. Will the Secretary of State confirm that a balance must be struck between the need for increased protection for officers and ensuring that police are visible and known to their communities?
“The Government raised the threat level from substantial to severe last week. Was this change due to specific intelligence received or a response to the general security situation?
“Were civilian guards briefed on the current threat level and were individual establishments chased up to ensure that this was understood and that appropriate measures had been taken to take account of this? Given the understandable pursuit of normalisation, will he conduct an immediate review of the security arrangements at police stations and military installations? Has he had any discussions with the Defence Secretary about the consequences for defence installations in the rest of the UK?
“The attackers showed a devastating ruthlessness in shooting their victims a second time on the ground. Does the Secretary of State believe that this cold brutality suggests that these were experienced terrorists?
“The crime scene will reveal valuable ballistic and forensic evidence. The experience from previous investigations shows that speed is of the essence. Will the Secretary of State confirm that these Category A murders will receive top priority and will he confirm that the most competent and experienced officers will be in charge of the investigation?
“I would like to confirm that we will support the Government’s efforts to bring these ruthless murderers to justice. We believe that they have no support in the wider community. The support for the police investigation from all political parties is welcome. The key to defeating terrorism in Northern Ireland lies with all parts of the community. I endorse the Secretary of State’s appeal yesterday for anyone with information on these criminal acts to come forward; even the smallest piece of information could be vital and might help to bring this investigation to a swift conclusion. We welcome the public statement by the Irish Minister of Justice and the Garda Commissioner for their commitment to help.
“Although huge progress has been made, Northern Ireland still has some way to go before normal security arrangements are appropriate. Thanks to the peace process which was begun by the previous government and continued by this one, Northern Ireland has been transformed. An unrepresentative minority of dissidents are determined to undo the good work of the past 15 years. It is incumbent on us all to respond to this shocking attack by going about our business normally but with increased vigilance; the good work of recent years must continue. Terrorism in any form must never succeed.”
Filed under: Conservative Party, Conservatives Northern Ireland, Owen Paterson
