UUP peer seeks addition resources for PSNI to protect border security

Speaking in a House of Lords on the King’s Speech, which included 18 Bills applying to Northern Ireland, Lord Rogan said: “The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will enable police to use counterterrorism powers to tackle gangs smuggling immigrants into the UK.”

Addressing the Communities Minister, Lord Khan, he asked: “Given that Northern Ireland is the sole part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with the EU, can I seek an assurance from the Minister that the Police Service of Northern Ireland will be fully involved in the formulation and implementation of these new arrangements?”

He continued: “Also, given the additional financial pressures they will bring to an already desperately under-resourced PSNI, can I have a guarantee that additional money will be provided for policing in Northern Ireland to deal with these extra responsibilities?”

In a wide-ranging speech, the former Ulster Unionist Party President welcomed the commitment in the King’s Speech - which sets out the new government’s legislative programme for the year ahead – to establish a “Council of the Nations and Regions to renew opportunities for the Prime Minister, heads of devolved governments and mayors of combined authorities to collaborate with each other”.

Lord Rogan said: “At face value, this promise is particularly positive from a unionist point of view. It was the political objective of my late friend Lord Trimble to take Ulster Unionism to the heart of British politics.

“To have Northern Ireland political representatives sitting around the same table as their counterparts in the other devolved nations and regions to make the United Kingdom work better is a laudable objective. It is also a golden opportunity for Northern Ireland to have a more integral role in UK-wide political decision-making, which was far from the case under the previous Government.”

He added: “Might I boldly suggest that the first meeting should take place in Northern Ireland? I should remind Ministers that the Province successfully hosted the 39th G8 Summit in 2013, so we know what we are doing.”

Winding up for the Government, Lord Khan said that Baroness Smith, the Leader of the House of Lords, would write to peers to answer points raised during the debate.