Speeches by Robinson.

“Thank you. Q105   Mike Kane: Thank you, gentlemen. Should dressing up in military uniform and marching in lockstep be consigned to historical re-enactment societies? I ask that because, around 25 years on, we still have paramilitary cosplay going on, which is probably a failure of the Patten report. What can …”

“There was a reference earlier to Jonny Byrne, who says that there should be a fresh conversation about all of this, and potentially a reduction. There is a danger that some decisions being taken within PSNI currently are motivated by budgetary constraints. If they latch on to the need for some of the existing spend tha…”

“That is where I think this conversation needs to go. Ms Kearns referred to this notion that, through changes in Northern Ireland, this should cease. The fact is that every other police force in the United Kingdom outside of Northern Ireland benefits from a counter-terrorism support fund of £1.2 billion for the next fin…”

“But that was you preparing a business case and saying, “Guys, we have a capacity deficit here. We need x capital expenditure. We need more resource for individuals to carry out this specific function.” It was agreed to. There was no formula—you had nothing to work alongside. Were criteria shared with you at the time, t…”

“Thank you. There is always a glaring absence of the organisations that the Paramilitary Crime Task Force target and in organised crime more generally. Sir George, I want to talk about the untidy nature of additional security funding. You had recurring funding during your tenure as Chief Constable. Are you clear in your…”

“Okay. It is a concern that I am raising, but I appreciate the response.”

“Sir Hugh, you mentioned the transition to giving MI5 primacy on national security threats. I sense a tension: national security threats, MI5, PSNI and everything else becomes blurry when it involves the remnant parts of the IRA involved in crime, because crime is not a national security consideration, but the organisat…”

“Sir Hugh is a bit more removed from this, so to give a final view on that, what could be more effective for political leadership to encourage engagement with normalisation of policing?”

“Do you think that there are still political leaders who struggle to support recruitment to the PSNI? Do you worry when you see stories about recruitment activities or attendance at schools for normal community engagement being frustrated because of local politics?”

“In your experience, do we have a problem with an aspect of political leadership in Northern Ireland that only supports policing if it works for them?”

“You are right, and that is your disposition, but in the last 3 years in Northern Ireland a Chief Constable has resigned because he did allow himself to be corrupted by political influences, whether that was with the Bobby Storey funeral and the lawlessness that occurred during the pandemic or, subsequently, the reports…”

“I dearly remember—fondly remember—that you and I had conversations of that tenor in the past when you were Assistant Chief Constable.”

“My colleague Ms Eastwood wants to ask you about legacy after I ask you a few questions, so you will have more than enough time, but thank you for that, Sir George. On political support for policing, you mentioned that when you were Chief Constable for five years, devolution was down for two and a half, and that that fr…”

“One of the things about our geographic location and our history is that the PSNI has almost every competency that a police force—or police service—could require. In the United Kingdom, probably only three forces or constabularies are in that position—the Met, Police Scotland and Northern Ireland. Gavin Stephens, in the…”

“Sir George, I do not want to preclude you from answering that question, but I think Sir Hugh’s answers are enough for the Committee. I want to move on to talk to you about political support for policing.”

“Good morning, gentlemen. Sir Hugh, you arrived in Northern Ireland in 2002. With the change that was going on in policing, you were brought in with fresh eyes and—for some in our community—clean hands to work on the Patten reforms. You mentioned a number of outstanding commitments, like a new college. I continually rai…”

“I thank the Secretary of State for her statement, and place on record my thanks and gratitude to Rosalind McClean and Charlotte Carson from a local campaign group on smartphone-free childhoods. She is right to bring forward a consultation and engage with young people, but my parliamentary colleagues in the other place …”

“The Foreign Secretary is right to say that NATO allies should not threaten one another, and she is also right to highlight the threat and potential harm caused by trade wars and the imposition of tariffs, but does she understand the bemusement of Northern Ireland Members? She talks strongly about sovereignty, but it wa…”

“Fair enough. Thank you for that added information. To go back to the exchange you had with Ms Murray around MI5 and intelligence sharing, there were some reports before Christmas indicating that MI5 were in a position of ending the sharing of information with PSNI because of their concerns as to how it is handled. It i…”

“When you gentlemen were with us in April, I asked you whether you considered it bizarre that we were having this discussion about naming Freddie Scappaticci as Stakeknife. I think it was you, Sir Iain, who agreed it was bizarre. When you launched your report before Christmas, I think you went as far as you could in say…”