Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the status, structure and operational capability of the Provisional IRA.

I refer the Noble Lord to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’s remarks to the House of Commons on 8 September 2015 which set out the Government’s and the Chief Constable’s current assessment of the Provisional IRA (PIRA).

We have no plans to remove PIRA from the list of proscribed organisations.

The Government has made clear that there is no place for any paramilitary group in a democratic society. Issues arising out of continued paramilitary activity and remaining structures need to be urgently addressed in cross-party talks, and that is our priority.