To ask the Minister of Justice (i) for her assessment of the scale of illegal moneylending; and (ii) what tools she is using to address this practice.

Whilst illegal money lending is an under-reported crime in Northern Ireland, it is one that we know is causing significant harm within communities.

Many reasons underpin underreporting: some victims are concerned about reporting their own involvement with those involved in illegal activity while others fear reprisals if they provide information to the police. The possibility of victims being drawn into criminality due to unpaid ‘debts’ ‘owed’ to paramilitary groups also prevents some victims from seeking help or reporting concerns.

Addressing the harm from illegal money lending requires a system-wide response and PSNI work with a range of partners to assist those affected, including the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, foodbanks and community fridges, Northern Ireland Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NIACRO) (Base2), Christians against Poverty (CAP) and other community groups including addiction support and women's groups.

The Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime (EPPOC) has helped to raise awareness of the issue through its current ‘Ending the Harm’ public awareness campaign on this topic and also provides a wide range of supports to people who are at risk of many types of paramilitary exploitation.

The Department for Communities funds Advice NI and its affiliated front-line community-based centres to deliver a free, independent, and impartial debt advice service. Their Debt Advisers can support victims of illegal money lending by offering free, independent debt advice.

PSNI have been upskilling their officers in identified hotspot locations to be more aware of illegal money lending and, also, how to maximise potential investigative opportunities. Illegal money lending has also recently been added as a specific crime type for the purposes of police recording, helping to ensure that there is a greater understanding of the prevalence of this activity in the future.