Results 1-20 of 73 for terrorism speaker:Lembit Öpik

Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism (9 Jul 2009) has video

Lembit Öpik: I have heard all this before. In Northern Ireland, we had this debate year after year, and it was pretty much unequivocally proved that detention without trial was a recruiting sergeant for terrorism, rather than something that helped to reduce it. Why does the Minister think that the lessons of history can be ignored today?

[Sir Nicholas Winterton in the Chair] — Arms Export Controls (26 Mar 2009)

Lembit Öpik: ...with interest to the Minister's comments about enforcement. I have been involved in a case—I cannot give names, because the case is continuing—in which people have been accused of terrorism and exporting equipment to a certain part of the world, allegedly for terrorist activity. It is obvious to me that the claim is preposterous, and I am pretty sure that they will be found...

Self-Balancing Personal Transporters (14 Jan 2009) has video

Lembit Öpik: ...Office, the hon. Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Watson). After trying it out only this afternoon, the Minister said, "Yeah, it's bloody great—really bloody good. I want one." This caused terror in the eyes of his driver, whose fear of replacement by ministerial Segway even overrode his shock at the Minister's uncharacteristic departure from parliamentary language. Riding a...

European Affairs (9 Dec 2008) has video

Lembit Öpik: On terrorism, I would like to ask the Foreign Secretary to consider whether the forthcoming EU summit is a good opportunity to consider whether collectively we might seek to address the motives of terrorism without condoning its methods. It seems to me that on a collective basis, it would be a good strategic opportunity to apply the lessons of Northern Ireland on an international basis.

Orders of the Day: Local Government and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (8 Nov 2007) has video

Lembit Öpik: Does it strike the hon. Gentleman as ironic that, given the successes that we had in Northern Ireland in dissolving the motives for terrorism, little effort appears to have been made in the so-called international war on terror to understand the motives? To understand those motives is not to condone the acts of terrorism, but does he agree that the lessons from Northern Ireland could usefully...

Orders of the Day: Clause 1 — Issue of certificate (6 Feb 2007)

Lembit Öpik: ...of this section an organisation is a proscribed organisation, in relation to any time, if at that time— (a) it is (or was) proscribed (within the meaning given by section 11(4) of the Terrorism Act 2000 (c. 11)), and (b) its activities are (or were) connected with the affairs of Northern Ireland.'.— [Paul Goggins.]

Public Bill Committee: Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Bill: Clause 1 (16 Jan 2007)

Lembit Öpik: ..., but let the record show that the Minister is being absolutely clear that the Government do not intend to roll out such provisions across the rest of the United Kingdom for justifications relating to terrorism or any other reason. Moving on, the Minister also said that £25 million of criminal damage has been done by the paramilitary groups—I think that the timetable was roughly...

Orders of the Day: Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Bill (13 Dec 2006)

Lembit Öpik: .... The Liberal Democrats generally welcome the Bill. It contains much that we support and we welcome announcements by the Government that they will repeal the temporary provisions in part 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 relating to Northern Ireland. That is a significant step forward and some credit is due to the Northern Ireland Office for being true to its word and attempting to normalise the...

Orders of the Day: Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Bill (21 Nov 2006)

Lembit Öpik: ...today's legislation: a new precedent for peace in Northern Ireland, whereby we persistently re-establish deadlines—perhaps on a six-monthly or annual basis, as we do with the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005—so that we ensure a peace of sorts, but not the re-establishment of devolution. What would I do if I were in the Secretary of State's position? It is possible that I would...

Orders of the Day — Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill (13 Mar 2006)

Lembit Öpik: ...to register anonymously if they feared that their safety, or that of any person in their home, would be at risk if they could be identified from the electoral register. Given the changing threat of terrorism in Northern Ireland, I can only say that I hope that the number of people for whom the provision might be necessary will be small and decrease over time. I am curious about how the...

Orders of the Day — Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill (13 Mar 2006)

Lembit Öpik: ...-in, primarily by Sinn Fein. Ministers must be careful what they say about crime. For the Secretary of State to discuss "pure crime" implies a certain naivety about the difference between "proper terrorism" and "proper crime". In recent debates in this Chamber, I have become annoyed, because Ministers appear sincerely to think that Northern Ireland terrorism should be treated differently...

Orders of the Day — Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill (13 Mar 2006)

Lembit Öpik: ...in Committee. Returning to today's Second Reading debate, however, can he not see that he is doing exactly what many hon. Members have always warned the Government not to do, which is to categorise terrorism in two leagues—international terrorism, which is a threat to state security, and domestic terrorism, which seems to have a more benign status? Will he assure hon. Members that...

Opposition Parties (Financial Assistance) (8 Feb 2006)

Lembit Öpik: ...demonstrate that the rule of law will prevail in all areas of life, not only in relation to paramilitary violence. Sometimes the Government seem rather schizophrenic in their approach towards terrorism. They are sympathetic and cut some slack to the IRA and other paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland, while almost in the same breath they introduce regulations and make...

Public Bill Committee: Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill: 1.7 pm (15 Dec 2005)

Lembit Öpik: ...as there is nothing in the Bill to prevent that. I imagine that, by definition, if someone receives a licence under the Bill, it will have been proven that they committed an offence in relation to terrorism. But they will not have been to prison and they may not therefore have been seen to have been rehabilitated, which, after all, was one of the elements that was assumed to have occurred...

Public Bill Committee: Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill: Clause 4 - Making and dealing with applications for certificates (13 Dec 2005)

Lembit Öpik: The Minister satisfies me on that point. However, it is sad that his reassurances that the other powers will be used only sparingly do not hold much water given the recent performance on terrorism prosecutions, which shows that the Government are quite willing to apply in inappropriate circumstances whatever legislation they have been given.

Public Bill Committee: Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill: Clause 1 - Offences to which the Act applies (6 Dec 2005)

Lembit Öpik: ...a get-out-jail-free card for offences that are absolutely nothing to do with the terrorist environment in Northern Ireland. It is all down to the definitions. We are clear now that when the Terrorism Act 2000 is cited in clause 1(2), that is a specific reference to offences related to escape. In fact, the offences are those under the Prison Act (Northern Ireland) 1953. It is nothing to do...

Public Bill Committee: Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill: Clause 1 - Offences to which the Act applies (6 Dec 2005)

Lembit Öpik: .... I hope that the Minister agrees that it is a good use of our time. The Minister seems to be saying that the definition in clause 1(1)(a) means exactly the same as the definition contained in the Terrorism Act 2000. Will he confirm that the two definitions are exactly the same, in which case why is he not using exactly the same language; or does he accept that they are not the same, in...

Public Bill Committee: Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill: Clause 1 - Offences to which the Act applies (6 Dec 2005)

Lembit Öpik: ...the line that we have been using—a get-out-of-jail-free card, since it includes a paragraph about the applicant being “accused of an offence committed in the course of efforts to combat terrorism in Northern Ireland”. How does he square what seems to be a contradiction between the two amendments?

Public Bill Committee: Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill: Clause 1 - Offences to which the Act applies (6 Dec 2005)

Lembit Öpik: Does the hon. Gentleman accept that the phrase, “an offence under the law of any part of the United Kingdom committed before 10th April 1998 in connection with terrorism and the affairs of Northern Ireland (whether committed for terrorist purposes or not)”, goes even wider than the hon. Gentleman is saying and could turn into a get-out-of-jail-free card for matters of base crime...

Public Bill Committee: Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill: Clause 1 - Offences to which the Act applies (6 Dec 2005)

Lembit Öpik: ..., East (Mr. Robinson) made earlier. If members of the security forces are shown to have colluded with   proscribed organisations, they will, in effect, have been shown to have committed an act of terrorism, and that will be covered by the Bill. As far as I can tell, the phrase “(whether committed for terrorist purposes or not)” relates to illegal actions taken by members...