HC Deb 09 May 1963 vol 677 cc668-9
52. Mr. Fletcher

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has now received the report of the Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police with regard to the incident affecting Queen Frederika of Greece on 20th April; and if he will make a statement.

50. Mr. Rankin

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the circumstances which led to the issue of his official statement that no physical attempt was made at any time to interfere with the free progress of the Queen of Greece during her recent visit to Great Britain.

Mr. Brooke

I have no later information beyond that which was available to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 2nd May, when he made a statement to the House. I have nothing to add to that statement.

Mr. Fletcher

Cannot the Home Secretary clear up the glaring discrepancy between the statement issued by the Home Office and that issued by the Foreign Office? Why did the Home Office put out a statement that no physical attempt had been made to interfere with the progress of Queen Frederika at a time when the Foreign Office was apologising for it? As a result of this incident, has the right hon. Gentleman reviewed the precautions which are taken for the protection of foreign monarchs and other distinguished visitors in circumstances which are likely to lead to provocative incidents?

Mr. Brooke

I do not quite know what the hon. Gentleman means by "provocative incidents". but I can certainly say that no official statement was put out by the Home Office, as alleged in Question No. 50. We said that, to the best of our knowledge, Queen Frederika was not touched. She was certainly inconvenienced and molested. There is no inconsistency between those things. I can do no more than again express the apology which has been offered by the Foreign Secretary and by the Prime Minister for what happened.

Mr. Brockway

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that all of us accept the need for an apology to a foreigner, whether a member of a royal family or the most humble person, who is molested, but can he explain the contradiction between the statements of the Home Office and of the Foreign Office? On one day the Foreign Office says that an apology has been made because there has been this unseemly violent action to the Queen, and the next day the Home Office says that she has not been touched. The right hon. Gentleman cannot get away with it by the kind of explanation which he has made this afternoon.

Mr. Brooke

The hon. Member is wrong. According to our information, Queen Frederika was not touched at all, but, as I say, she was undoubtedly inconvenienced and molested.