Contacts Between Ministers And Sinn Fein

EDM number 803 in 1994-95, proposed by Ken Maginnis on 14/03/1995.

That this House endorses the conditions which the Prime Minister set on 14th December 1994 in respect of exploratory talks between government officials and Sinn Fein; supports his expressed view that hugh progress on decommissioning must be made before government ministers or the constitutional parties of Northern Ireland can be expected to enter into talks with Sinn Fein; agrees with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland's assertion of 7th March 1995, that Sinn Fein is inextricably linked with the IRA; notes that the IRA retains its terrorist capability in full, continues to identify potential targets, continues to raise funds to maintain its operations, continues to recruit and train, and continues to terrorise the community with brutal punishment beatings; and believes that, while these conditions prevail, any contact between government ministers and Sinn Fein would be incompatible with both the Prime Minister's stated position and accepted democratic protocols.

This motion has been signed by a total of 23 MPs, 1 of these signatures have been withdrawn.