Clause 3 - Certificates of eligibility
Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill
12:45 pm
Lorely Burt (Shadow Minister, Northern Ireland Affairs; Solihull, Liberal Democrat)
I want to add our party’s support for the amendments. Indeed, they are similar to our amendment No. 48, in that they would include a reference to proscribed organisations, rather than specified ones.
The amendments throw the net wider than organisations that are not on ceasefire, so as to include all terrorist organisations. We all need much more reassurance that a person availing themselves of the scheme cannot support any kind of terrorist organisation. The criteria under which an organisation can be specified are not good enough; we have been telling the Government that for some time. The Government should take into account whether an organisation is complying fully with the terms of paragraph 13.