asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how he defines the classification "sectarian and interfactional assassinations" in the statistics of security; and whether he will reconsider this classification.

The term "sectarian and interfactional assassinations" applies to what are regarded as the deliberate killing of individuals or groups because of their religion or their membership of a political or parliamentary organisation. Since the relevant figures in the quarterly statistics also include killings of members of political or paramilitary organisations by members of the same organisation, it is proposed in future to adopt a new classification of "sectarian, interfactional and intrafactional assassinations."