Ulster Unionist Peer Lord Empey has been appointed to a House of Lords Committee to consider and report on the law and practice relating to extradition.

Lord Empey said;

“Extradition issues have historically been extremely important from a Northern Ireland perspective, particularly with regard to a number of high profile cases in the 1980s where attempts to extradite terrorist suspects from the Republic of Ireland to the United Kingdom failed.

“I will seek to highlight the failure to extend the full powers of the National Crime Agency to Northern Ireland – thanks to SDLP and Sinn Fein opposition – which has left us more vulnerable to serious and organized crime gangs being able to operate within the Province and indeed to use us as a back door for entry to the UK mainland.

“The current global political climate and the ease of travel which exists in the modern world mean that suspects can be on another continent within hours of an atrocity. We also have to contend with the issue of funds being raised in one part of the world for the commissioning of acts of terror in another. Both these issues have implications for extradition arrangements between the United Kingdom and other countries.

“I believe it is prudent that we should keep extradition arrangements under constant review, and I very much look forward to playing my part on this important select committee.

“I am very pleased to have been asked to serve on the select committee on Extradition for the 2014/15 Parliamentary session.

“This is my third select committee in three years, the others being SMEs and Exports 2012/13 and Personal Service Companies 2013/14.”