|
Mr. Pearson: I am happy to take on board the hon. Gentleman's comments. I realise that this issue has been raised on several occasions. However, I was not aware that it went back as far as Enoch Powell's days. I assure him that the policy proposal paper is at an advanced stage of preparation, and that we want to move ahead with all speed. I hope to publish it shortly.
Cross-Border Racketeering
Mr. David Trimble (Upper Bann) (UUP): Question four.
Hon. Members: Three.
3. Mr. Trimble: Will he make a statement on progress in dealing with cross-border racketeering. [208897]
Sorry, I must apologise. I should not have been surprised at the absence of a DUP Member, but that is by the way.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Ian Pearson): Recent and ongoing multi-agency operations on both sides of the border highlight the commitment of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Garda Siochana and other law enforcement agencies to tackling those involved in organised crime who seek to operate in both jurisdictions. A strategic response to the cross-border threat assessment, which was published last September, is being developed further to enhance law enforcement agencies' ability to tackle cross-border organised crime.
Mr. Trimble: We appreciate very much what the Secretary of State had to say yesterday about the need to tackle criminality. The reason that the question focused on cross-border activities is that there is a distinct impression in Northern Ireland that the statutory agencies might be effective in Coleraine and in north Down but that they are not effective in south Armagh and in other border areas.
It is vital that the Minister ensures that those agencies are effective throughout Northern Ireland, especially in dealing with organised crime of this nature. The effectiveness of intelligence is hugely important. That major robberies involving scores of people have taken place without the authorities' being aware in advance illustrates that. Those robberies would not have happened five or 10 years ago.
The functions of the intelligence agencies and special branch must be looked at in order to see how they are operating. Does not the Minister think it appropriate for the Chief Constable to reconsider his recent direction to the police, which resulted in a large number of informers being paid off?
Mr. Pearson: The right hon. Gentleman raises several points. There is an excellent level of co-operation between the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Garda Siochana and the various agencies on both sides of the border that are responsible for customs and excise. There is also an excellent level of co-operation between the Assets Recovery Agency
Column Number: 7
and its counterpart in the south. All are working hard at tackling illegal cross-border activity and will continue to do so.
The right hon. Gentleman raised the issue of intelligence, which is something that we keep under close review. He is aware that several changes have been implemented recently. I have a slightly different view of those changes from him. Having looked at the detail, I believe that they are designed to produce a more effective intelligence information system in Northern Ireland. Again, there is good information-sharing between intelligence south of the border as well as in the north. That is not to say that there are not always lessons that can be learned for the future. However, the level of intelligence activity and the organisational capability that exists in Northern Ireland is more than adequate for our purposes.
Mr. Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (DUP): May I press the Minister on the information that is provided about cross-border fuel laundering? He will be aware of public representatives' repeated attempts to raise the issue of the number of individuals, who seem to work on either side of the border, who are importing and exporting fuel, which deprives the UK Exchequer of millions of pounds in excise duties. What progress is the Assets Recovery Agency making in dealing with the individuals responsible?
Mr. Pearson: Deliveries of legitimate fuel to Northern Ireland have risen by 6 per cent. That indicates that the illicit market is shrinking. Operations are mounted regularly, and both north and south are working together to tackle the problem of cross-border fuel smuggling. Our priority is to achieve convictions, and that is the right approach to take.
The hon. Gentleman mentioned the Assets Recovery Agency. Where it is not possible to secure convictions, disrupting and seizing assets are all legitimate forms of action that the Government must take if we are to bear down on that activity. We are also looking at the Organised Crime Task Force to see what more we can do as a public sector and what penalties we can introduce, where feasible, to bear down on cross-border fuel smuggling. He is right to raise this serious issue, but I do not want him to leave thinking that the Government and their various agencies are not making a serious and concerted response to tackling the problem.
Mr. David Lidington (Aylesbury) (Con): Does the Minister believe that changes to the law on the admissibility of evidence might help to win the battle against organised crime?
Mr. Pearson: There has been a healthy debate on the admissibility of intercept as evidence. There are two points of view, but my view is that it is right to allow intercept to be used. However, many of the professionals involved in dealing with organised crime tell me that they feel that permitting intercept will have a marginal significance, as it would be rare for intercept, as the sole evidence, to be sufficient to secure
Column Number: 8
a conviction. It is important that intercept evidence be backed up by other evidence to satisfy the courts and to secure convictions, which is, obviously, what we want to achieve.
Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire) (LD): Despite the Minister's assurances that fuel smuggling is now being tackled more effectively—I accept that it probably is—does not he accept that a significant fuel-smuggling operation is going on that, certainly in the diesel sector, is causing mechanical difficulties, as the red diesel is also filtered and sold as commercial diesel? Does not he accept that that is yet another example of why the Government must start considering organised crime as a potential breach of ceasefire? Until the Government begin to enforce serious sanctions against the paramilitary organisations involved in organised crime, those organisations will continue to perceive that, as long as they are not bombing and shooting people to any significant extent, they will be given a fairly free hand to profiteer from cross-border trafficking.
Mr. Pearson: I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments in support of our work, and for recognising that our efforts have increased and that our ability to tackle fuel smuggling has improved. I think that that is correct. However, nobody is above the law. There is no soft-pedalling on organised crime. There is no soft-pedalling on cross-border crime. I expect all the law enforcement agencies to work to tackle criminal behaviour from wherever it comes and whichever organisation might be behind it. That is the clear statement that the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State have made. Criminal activity linked to political parties is simply not acceptable. We must do all that we can to bring an end to that.
Disability Discrimination Act 1995
4. Lady Hermon (North Down) (UUP): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland If he will make a statement on compliance by Government offices in Northern Ireland with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to facilitate communication with the deaf and hard of hearing. [208898]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Ian Pearson): As part of the Disability Discrimination Act programme of work to buildings in the Government estate, provision is included to facilitate communication with the deaf and hard-of-hearing. That work includes providing deaf-loop systems at counter points, at receptions and in designated rooms; deaf-alerter systems for evacuation purposes; beacons in toilet areas; systems in public offices for visual and aural indication; signage; and text phones.
Lady Hermon: I thank the Minister for that reply. In North Down, we have an excellent scheme that has been operated by the citizens advice bureau in Bangor. It is called the deaf project. It is designed to assist the deaf and the hard-of-hearing of all ages. It does wonderful work. Can the Minister set aside a little part of his diary to come to Bangor to shadow deaf and
Column Number: 9
hard-of-hearing people who go to social security agencies and jobcentres looking for jobs in order to see how they are treated at Government offices?
Mr. Pearson: I will certainly look at my diary. Unfortunately, I cannot guarantee that I shall be able to find the time in the short term to do what the hon. Lady suggests. However, she has raised issues, particularly about the problems that deaf people have in accessing some services. I am more than happy for the hon. Lady to write to me, and I will see whether there are areas in which we can improve the service that we offer to deaf and partially hearing people.
Cancer
5. Rev. Martin Smyth (Belfast, South) (UUP): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking (a) to reduce cancer rates and (b) to improve cancer care for cancer patients in Northern Ireland. [208899]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Angela Smith): Action is being taken to reduce cancer incidence, morbidity and mortality rates, and also to improve cancer care for patients through prevention, early detection, screening, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative and supportive care and research.
The regional cancer services framework steering group, led by the chief medical officer, is considering the development of cancer services over the next 20 years and is expected to conclude its recommendations by the end of February 2005.
| 
