Gun surrender report due soon

GENERAL John de Chastelain’s final report on surrendered republican and loyalist guns will be published in due course but with a guns and bombs amnesty having expired in February 2010 and with no plans for an extension anyone caught with arms from here on is jail-bound, according to Secretary of State Owen Paterson.

Addressing the House of Commons Mr Paterson said: “The British and Irish Governments have been presented with the Independent International Commission on Decommissiong’s (IICD) final report, which focuses on commissioners’ experiences and lessons learned. I am considering the report with my counterpart in the Irish Government and we will publish it in due course.”

He also thanked the IICD for its work stating: “I would like to put on record our thanks to General de Chastelain, Brigadier Nieminen and Andrew Sens for the work they have done over the years. We intend to keep Parliament updated on developments, probably by written statements.”

DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson referred to recent Northern Ireland weapons finds in East Tyrone and South Armagh. He asked the Secretary of State for an assurance the amnesty previously offered under the decommissioning legislation to those handing in, and in possession of, such weapons will no longer apply.

Mr Paterson said: “I entirely endorse his comments on the co-operation between the PSNI and the Garda and the recent arms finds in Tyrone. The amnesty to which he refers expired in February 2010, and we have no plans to reintroduce it.

“There is no place for arms in today’s Northern Ireland. Everyone can pursue their legitimate aims by peaceful democratic means, and those caught with arms will go through the due process of law.”