HC Deb 08 May 1969 vol 783 cc655-6
Q4. Mr. Rose

asked the Prime Minister whether he will arrange a further meeting with the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.

The Prime Minister

The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland has accepted my invitation to a meeting in London on 21st May.

Mr. Rose

Would my right hon. Friend impress on the new Prime Minister the need for immediate implemention of electoral and other reform? Would he also stress that ultimate power is vested in Westminster? Perhaps as a quid pro quo would he suggest the possibility of Government aid from this country for a crash programme of economic development for the depressed areas in Northern Ireland?

The Prime Minister

I do not want to say anything which will make this important meeting more difficult in advance of the meeting. It will be very clear to all who are familiar with Northern Ireland's problems in the last few months, not least to my hon. Friend who has taken a great interest in them, that everyone in a position of authority in Northern Ireland will be only too well aware of what my right hon. Friend and I said to Captain O'Neill and his colleagues when they came over last time. We are not in any sense varying what we said to them. That will be the position from here on. Furthermore, they are fully aware of the need for urgency in this matter. I do not want to go further than that today.

Mr. Heath

Would the Prime Minister accept that we on this side of the House fully support the reforms which the Government of Northern Ireland are pledged to carry through—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] Indeed, in the same way as the Prime Minister and his colleagues and, I think, the whole House have pledged. Will he therefore agree that the thing now to do is to give the Northern Ireland Government the opportunity to get on with the job?

The Prime Minister

Yes, I welcome the fact that the right hon. Gentleman has supported the programme of reform. The programme of reform was proposed to the Northern Ireland Government by Her Majesty's Government, and I am very glad that it was accepted by Captain O'Neill. We all know the heavy price he had to pay for the fact that he recognised what needed to be done. It is now important that this programme should continue. I do not think anyone wants to make it any more difficult in advance of the meeting.