HC Deb 27 May 1968 vol 765 cc1229-34
The Secretary of State for Wales (Mr. George Thomas)

With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, I should life to make a statement concerning the bomb explosions in Wales.

At 3.28 a.m. on Saturday, 25th May, an explosion occurred in Crown Buildings, Cathays Park, Cardiff, the main administrative centre of the Welsh Office of the Secretary of State for Wales, and also of the Welsh Board of Health.

A device appears to have been placed on a basement window ledge below a stone bridge leading to the eastern entrance of the building. No one was injured, but the explosion caused a considerable amount of superficial damage to the building and furniture. Approximately 30 rooms were affected in some degree, with broken windows, doors and furniture; but no essential records were affected. The total cost of repairs and replacements is likely to be about £5,000.

Temporary repairs were carried out over the weekend, and all the rooms affected were ready for occupation by the staff this morning.

I have had consultations with the Chief Constable of Cardiff, and I understand from him that the Regional Crime Squad is co-operating with the Cardiff City police in the current investigation.

If any further assistance is required, and a request is made, it will, of course, be met.

At 2.45 a.m. today an explosion took place at the base of a stone and concrete support carrying an emergency pipeline from Lake Vyrnwy, in Motgomeryshire, supplying water to Liverpool. The seat of the explosion was about 20 yards below the dam immediately above the village of Llanwddyn.

No serious damage appears to have been caused and no one was injured. The supply of water from the reservoir has in no way been affected.

Liverpool Corporation officials and local police are investigating the extent of the damage. No estimate of cost is at present available.

It is clear that these outrages have been committed for political reasons. The House and the people of Wales will roundly condemn this attempt at political terrorism.

Mr. Gibson-Watt

Will the Minister accept that all parts of the House will join with his concluding remarks about the anxiety we all feel over these two explosions? How many explosions of this sort have occurred in the past 12 months in the Principality? What are the Government doing to find out who perpetrated them?

Mr. Thomas

There have been four of these explosions in the Principality during the past 12 months. The police force is at full stretch to find out the people who did it, and I have no doubt at all that it will welcome the support of the general public who may have seen anything unusual on Saturday night or this morning. [Laughter.] It so happens that a police officer was standing on the spot 10 minutes before this explosion. He would have been killed. We cannot find anything humorous in the situation.

Mr. E. Rowlands

Is my right hon. Friend aware that there is grave disquiet in South Wales because we believe that there was no apparent sign of progress in tracking down those responsible for the two previous explosions in Cardiff? Does he think that it is now time to call in not only the Regional Crime Squad, but to give it complete and unequivocal charge of the investigation, assisted by Special Branch detectives from Scotland Yard? Should not we treat this as a national matter?

Mr. Thomas

I have been in touch with my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary this morning, and I have no doubt that any resources the police require will be made available. But the way in which the police do their work is a matter for the police.

Mr. Hooson

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the vast majority of Welsh people condemn these acts of terrorism, whatever party they belong to? Is he aware that there is very great concern in Wales that none of the perpetrators of the latest outrages over the weekend or the previous outrages have been discovered? As there were previous bomb outrages in Wales in which the perpetrators were discovered, is it not a sign that they are becoming more skilful? What further steps do the Government intend to take in the matter?

Mr. Thomas

I do not know whether the hon. and learned Gentleman expects my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to act as Sherlock Holmes [Laughter.] It is patently absurd to try to criticise the Government because the police have not found the criminals. Unfortunately, on the last occasion when a man was found guilty, and sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment, the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Gwynfor Evans) issued leaflets outside the court in which he said: Although we do not agree with the action they have taken, we cannot condemn them. Any statement that encourages people to political violence is to be deplored.

Mr. Gwynfor Evans

Is the Minister aware that Plaid Cymru has condemned without reservation these outrages? [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] It has done so consistently. Is he aware that it condemns his own verbal explosion over the weekend, in which he said that Plaid Cymru had wrought havoc in the life of Wales? Will he withdraw that and apologise? Is he prepared to face the fact that the havoc has been in the Labour Party in Wales?

Mr. Thomas

The hon. Gentleman must have forgotten the leaflets he distributed at the time of the Tryweryn explosion. The leaflet he issued whilst the case was being tried said that those who blew up the transformer … have merely tried to implement the wishes of the people of Wales … I believe that statements of that sort have led on to these bomb outrages.

Mr. James Griffiths

Has my right hon. Friend seen reports in the Press of statements by some of the leaders of Plaid Cymru that this and other explosions were organised by agents of the Government? Will he make inquiries into that? Does not he share the view of many of us that it is time Plaid Cymru spoke to some of these people and stopped some of this anti-English hatred propaganda which is inducing the young people to do these things?

Mr. Thomas

My right hon. Friend is quite right. Anti-English hatred which is being fostered, and the talk of separatism, have created an atmosphere that makes deeds of violence likely.

Mr. Gwynfor Evans

Nonsense.

Mr. Thomas

The hon. Member for Carmarthen said at the weekend that he thought it possible that this was done by secret service agents of the Government. All he has done is to reveal his own uneasiness. That statement of his sounds very like an attempt at political self-defence.

Mr. Fortescue

Will the Secretary of State use what influence he has in Wales to ensure that these terrorists concentrate their energies on other cities and not always on Liverpool? [Laughter.]

Mr. Thomas

The lives of Welsh people are in danger. People could have died in these explosions. I cannot for the life of me understand the Opposition thinking that this is an amusing business.

Mr. Heffer

Is my right hon. Friend aware that every hon. Member regards this as a most serious matter? Is he further aware that we in Liverpool consider it increasingly serious, because, on each occasion a bomb outrage interrupts water supply, or there is an attempt to do so, it is the people of Liverpool who have to pay for it? We would like to know who is to pay the cost on this occasion. Why should the ratepayers of Liverpool bear the full cost of these irresponsibilities on the part of a small section of people in Wales?

Mr. Thomas

Unfortunately, every time an act of terrorism takes place the innocent have to pay, and both the Welsh people and the people of Liverpool will be paying the price of these explosions.

Mr. Glower

All parties deplore these incidents. Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that prompt and effective action to apprehend the criminals is more important than allegation and counter-allegation? Will he assure the House that possibly some extraordinary measures will be taken to effect the results desired?

Mr. Thomas

I do not know quite what the hon. Gentleman wants me to say. I have every confidence that all the resources of the police will be used to bring those responsible to book.

Mr. Anderson

In contrast to what the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Gwynfor Evans) has said, may I ask my right hon. Friend whether he realises that his statement on Saturday that these outrages have to be seen in the context of the vein of hatred fostered by certain nationalist elements has been greeted by all men and women of good will in Wales as the best example of plain speaking that we have had on this subject for a long time?

Mr. Sandys

Is it a coincidence that this happened the day after the Minister of Technology, in a speech in Wales, predicted an explosion?

Mr. Thomas

As usual, the right hon. Member for Streatham (Mr. Sandys) is a day late. This incident took place before my right hon. Friend spoke.

Mr. Clifford Williams

Will my right hon. Friend explain to the House what the difference is between the situation some years ago during the desperate days of destitution in South Wales, when that revolutionary fighter, Tom Mann, was put in prison because he was going to make a speech, and now, when, during the weekend, according to the Liverpool Post, the so-called "commander" of the "free Wales army" said—and I quote—

Mr. Speaker

Order. No quotation is allowed in a supplementary question.

Mr. Clifford Williams

Will my right hon. Friend call the attention of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to this kind of statement, or put these people away somewhere safe?

Mr. Thomas

I know that the House and the country will have noted with concern not only the statement to which my hon. Friend refers, but the statement made on television on Saturday night. My right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General assures me that he is already make inquiries into the broadcast that has caused concern.

Mr. Abse

Will my right hon. Friend note that the people of Monmouthshire, possessed, as they are, of robust common sense, treat with utter contempt the suggestion made by the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Gwynfor Evans), who, in an attempt to avoid his own personal responsibility for his own inflamatory speeches, has made the lunatic suggestion that responsibility for these explosions is attached to M.I.5?

Will my right hon. Friend take special security measures in view of the past threats to the Severn Bridge, and also make it clear to industrialists that no views such as those expressed by the people responsible for these explosions belong to the general weal of Wales and Monmouthshire?

Mr. Thomas

My hon. Friend has touched upon one of the most serious aspects of this matter. Of course, I cannot go into the security measures taken, but I want to assure industrialists from outside Wales that this sort of conduct is not supported by the Welsh people. I hope that it will have no effect upon those we want to get to Wales to provide employment for our people.