HC Deb 08 March 1973 vol 852 cc598-602
Mr. Tugendhat

May I ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department a Question of which I have given him private notice—namely whether he will make a statement about the discovery earlier of gelignite outside New Scotland Yard? Since tabling my Question, I understand that some incidents have taken place within my constituency.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Robert Carr)

I regret to inform the House that within approximately the last hour there have been two bomb explosions in central London, one at the Old Bailey and the other off Whitehall in Great Scotland Yard. There have, I am afraid, been casualties. I cannot yet say how many or how serious, although I know that a substantial number of people have already been taken to hospital. There has also been widespread damage.

I should like to tell the House that the Metropolitan Police had in fact been taking additional precautions in central London in anticipation of possible action timed to coincide with the border poll in Northern Ireland. As a result, in the course of a special vehicle check, police officers shortly after 8.30 this morning found a bomb containing about 175 lbs. of explosive in a car parked near New Scotland Yard. This bomb was safely defused. Its timing device had been set to go off at about three o'clock this afternoon. The police then further intensified their search for suspicious vehicles and incidents.

I have just heard that a second bomb has been defused in Dean Stanley Street.

A number of vehicles have been investigated during the morning and early afternoon and some are still being checked at this moment. Full-scale police activity is continuing.

I am sure that the House, in addition to expressing its horror and disgust at these incidents, will also wish me to pay tribute to the work of the police, including their explosives officers, and to the efforts of the ambulance, fire and other emergency services which I have also heard went to the scenes of the incidents with even more than their customary speed.

Mr. Tugendhat

On behalf of my constituents, may I associate myself with all that my right hon. Friend said, both as regards his congratulations to the police and ambulance services and also his expression of sympathy to the injured. I certainly do not wish to press him for additional information at this time. I am grateful to him for taking an opportunity to make this statement so quickly.

Mr. Carr

I am grateful to my hon. Friend. We all wish above all to express our sympathy to the injured and their families.

Mr. Alexander W. Lyon

We on the Opposition side of the House share the horror and disgust which has been expressed by the right hon. Gentleman at outrages of this kind on this side of the Irish Channel and to wish to express the view that they are counter-productive in achieving any sort of political action. We also share in the right hon. Gentleman's expression of sympathy to those who were injured and to any bereaved relatives.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman one question? He said that there was some anticipation of these events by the police. Was there any warning? He also referred to the possibility of Irish intervention. Has he any evidence that this may in fact have been the cause and that it was linked with the border poll? If so, has he any plans to increase security at ports and airports which are connected with Ireland?

Mr. Carr

I have no evidence to connect these outrages with any specific organisation or quarter. The additional activity to which I referred on the part of the police was based on a general prudent anticipation that, with the border poll in Northern Ireland being conducted today, it might be wise to take extra precautions. That prudence has all too clearly and tragically shown itself to be right. It was no more than that. However, it is natural for people to assume, as the incidents have occurred on the same day, that they are connected. But there is no direct evidence of that as yet.

As for security at the ports, the freedom of travel between Northern Ireland, Southern Ireland and this country is of long standing and, as the House will know, control is not easy. But, as I have told the House on previous occasions, such checks as can be maintained are certainly being maintained. They have been maintained very strongly for some time. If they can be further intensified, they will be.

Mr. Thorpe

Is the Home Secretary aware that the whole House will wish to be associated with his tribute to the way in which the police have been carrying out their intensely difficult duties and the speed with which the voluntary and other services have carried out their works of mercy, some of which hon. Members have already witnessed. Is he also aware that, whilst we would wish to suspend judgment until we know a little more about those responsible, from whichever quarter they may come, there can be nothing but contempt and disgust for those who try to settle whatever differences may arise in an uncivilised way?

Mr. Carr

I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for what he said. I am sure that his views are echoed not only by the whole House but by people outside as well.

Mr. Tinn

Is the Home Secretary aware that it would seem that crowds were collecting where these incidents occurred and that the efforts of the police, which we all admire, were being hampered? Will he take exceptional steps to urge the public to clear the streets whenever requested to do so by the police?

Mr. Carr

I appreciate what the hon. Gentleman said. It gives me the opportunity to appeal, I hope, to a larger audience outside the House, the public at large, to give the police every possible co-operation at this time. The police have already asked for the full co-operation of the public by reporting instantly to them anything suspicious or unusual that they may observe. I think that we should all encourage the public at large to do that.

I should also like to reaffirm the hon. Gentleman's plea that people should not congregate. It is the worst possible thing that they can do, because if there were a further explosion it could, above all other things, lead to further tragedy.