§ Q7. Mr. McNamaraasked the Prime Minister if he will now make an official visit to Northern Ireland.
§ The Prime MinisterI have nothing to add to my reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Reading (Mr. John Lee) on 5th March.—[Vol. 797, c. 158.]
§ Mr. McNamaraI rather expected that reply. Is my right hon. Friend aware that the decision of the Inspector-General who called in Scotland Yard to investigate the case of Mr. Samuel Devenney has been welcomed throughout Ireland by those people who are concerned to see that justice is achieved, and that it is by these proper constitutional measures that we can hope for salvation in Northern Ireland?
§ The Prime MinisterWhen I had to face a certain degree of pressure about calling in Scotland Yard, including an all-night sitting—I hope the hon. Lady the 241 Member for Mid-Ulster (Miss Devlin) has recovered—I made it clear that this was a matter to be decided constitutionally by the Government of Northern Ireland and by the Inspector-General of Constabulary. He has now done on his own initiative what it was appropriate for him to do if he so thought fit, and that is to bring in Scotland Yard to help with the inquiry.
§ Mr. HeathI recognise that the House will shortly debate the whole question of Northern Ireland, but I should like to ask for one assurance from the Prime Minister which can be given only by him. The House will be aware of the serious statement which is reported to have been made yesterday by the G.O.C. that the Army may not be allowed to stay in Northern Ireland long enough for the problems to be solved. I do not know whether the G.O.C. is correctly reported. Will the Prime Minister give an assurance to the House that no question of withdrawing the Army has arisen, and that he will adhere to the previous assurances given by the Government that the forces will remain there so long as these problems are being solved. In parenthesis, may I ask him whether it would not be better if these matters were handled by Ministers either here at Westminster or in Northern Ireland?
§ The Prime MinisterI have not had a chance of checking whether the G.O.C. was correctly reported, and I shall certainly not lend myself to criticism of the G.O.C. in anything he says or does, having regard to the extremely tense situation with which he has been dealing in this past week, in which he has shown great courage and great judgment.
The right hon. Gentleman is right to put his main question. We have made it clear, and I repeat again, that we shall keep troops there as long as is necessary to fulfil the job which they have to do. The right hon. Gentleman will have noticed that last week we strengthened the number of troops by sending an additional battalion, because of the present situation. It is not our intention to keep troops there on that scale and in that number when the situation quietens down. As my right hon. Friend has made clear, even after the situation has quietened down and security has been fully re-established, with the Ulster Defence Regiment functioning and 242 policing properly, we intend to have some (troops there for a considerable time ahead. But there is no question of taking risks with Northern Ireland security by withdrawing troops so long as there is any reason for not so doing.