HC Deb 19 July 1973 vol 860 cc687-91
4. Mr. Biggs-Davison

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make a statement on the security situation since the Assembly elections.

Mr. Whitelaw

There has been a steady improvement in the overall security situation. However, some serious incidents of violence continue to occur; these have involved tragic loss of life and injury both to civilians and to soldiers.

Mr. Beggs-Davison

Is not the important fact about the Assembly elections the utter rejection by the Northern Ireland people of courses of violence, and is it not therefore an endorsement by the Northern Ireland people of an all-out effort now by the security forces to bring violence to an end as quickly as possible even if this means rigorous measures inconveniencing the public?

Mr. Whitelaw

Yes, I believe that to be so. The only question I would raise with my hon. Friend is over the word "now", because I maintain that this action by the security forces has been continuing throughout all these months and will continue to occur as stringently as possible. There are times when action must be taken which causes inconvenience to people. Sometimes people are very happy to have the inconvenience mentioned in general but not so pleased when the inconvenience happens to strike them in particular.

Mr. Orme

Directly related to the issue of security, may I ask whether the Secretary of State has anything to say about the current hunger strike in Crumlin Road gaol of Mr. Michael Farrell and Mr. Tony Canavan who have been sentenced to eight months and five months respectively? I understand that they are pursuing status as political prisoners and that their condition is deteriorating. These men were sentenced for breaking the law —for organising a march, not for throwing bombs or creating terrorism. Cannot the right hon. Gentleman do something to move these men and meet their demands, which seem justifiable in the circumstances?

Mr. Whitelaw

As the hon. Gentle. man, who has put the case very reasonably, rightly says, Mr. Farrell and Mr. Canavan were both found guilty on 25th May of behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace. Mr. Farrell was sentenced to eight months and Mr. Canavan to six months. They appealed and were granted bail. On 26th June their appeals were dismissed, and they were committed to prison. When they were committed to prison they at once applied for special category status, saying that they would go on hunger strike if it was refused to them. Their request was refused on 6th July, whereupon they went on hunger strike.

The request of these men was turned down for the simple reason that they are serving sentences of less than nine months. Indeed, in all other cases of people—there have been a considerable number —who are serving less than nine months, requests for special category status have been turned down. If that change were made, at least another 100 persons serving in the Crumlin Road gaol would have to be considered for special category status. The prison medical officer naturally is giving daily reports on the condition of these two people and he reports that he is not unduly worried by their condition. They have asked to see the governor today and he will be seeing them. I shall hear a report about this meeting. I must make it clear, however, that people have been refused special category status in all cases where the sentence is less than nine months.

Mr. McMaster

Will my right hon. Friend reduce the Army commitment wherever possible, particularly in quieter areas such as East Belfast, and replace it with the ordinary police—the Royal Ulster Constabulary—as quickly as possible?

Mr. Whitelaw

I shall do everything possible, as is the Government's policy, to build up the strength, morale and position of the RUC, and—if one can succeed in that—thereby to be able to reduce the number of troops. However, certain incidents have occurred which leave me in great doubt whether I should be able to reduce the troops in the areas which my hon. Friend has suggested.

Mrs. McAliskey

On the question of security, will not the right hon. Gentleman accept that, while he may say that eight months is too short a sentence, Mr. Michael Farrell, as the leader of the People's Democracy, in all his involvement in Northern Ireland—I do not say that he is by any means a privileged person, but he is nothing if he is not a political person—has been working for a political purpose? Furthermore, he has had a great deal of influence in the Belfast area where he works, especially among young people, in attempting to get them to work politically, as opposed to violently. Given Michael Farrell's support in a troubled area like Belfast, does not the Secretary of State agree that to refuse him his right as a political prisoner merely because of a sentence of eight months as opposed to nine months can lead to nothing but a worsening of the security situation, and, indeed, a worsening of Mr. Farrell's health? He is not the kind of person who will easily give up his demands.

Mr. Whitelaw

I am sure the hon. Lady will appreciate that, although she suggests Mr. Farrell is not activated by political motives, he is asking for special category status as a political prisoner. Second, the hon. Lady must realise that if the request were granted on this sentence—I shall not comment on the length of sentence; that is a matter for the people who impose it—and if we changed that situation, another 100 people would be involved. We cannot differentiate between one and another.

Mr. Kilfedder

Can my right hon. Friend say whether any persons are likely to be arrested and charged in Northern Ireland or Great Britain in connection with the recent illegal importation of arms into Dublin for use in Northern Ireland by the IRA? Will they be charged with their treasonable activity? Has not the IRA claimed that it has successfully imported arms into the Irish Republic and conveyed them across the border? Will my right hon. Friend make a statement about that?

Mr. Whitelaw

The best answer I can give on efforts to arrest people who have been doing these things is to make no statement at all.

Mr. Stallard

The Secretary of State's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Salford, West (Mr. Orme) was unsatisfactory. Do I understand the right hon. Gentleman to say that the offence does not matter too much but that what matters is the length of the sentence in relation to political status? Is not this introducing something entirely new? If these people were sentenced for a political offence, I should have thought that they were political prisoners. If the right hon. Gentleman is saying that it goes not by the offence but by the length of the sentence, that is something about which we should all be concerned in this House. Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is deep concern about the rapidly deteriorating, critical condition of both these men currently on hunger strike in Crumlin Road gaol?

Mr. Whitelaw

I understand the position. I was only pointing out the implications of any change in the situation, which are that there are 100 other people in exactly the same circumstances who would have to be considered if such a change were made. That is a point I must make to the House because it is extremely important. Until now, in the present circumstances the rule has been that people with less than that length of sentence have not been granted special category status. That has applied to people from all sides who have been sentenced. However, I shall look carefully at the full implications of this situation.

Mr. Stratton Mills

Is my right hon. Friend aware that there are many people, myself included, who feel that the original creation of the category of political prisoner was a mistake? Therefore, will he resist every effort to extend that category?

Mr. Whitelaw

I note what my hon. Friend has said, and I shall carefully consider this difficult situation.