HC Deb 02 July 1974 vol 876 cc209-10
Q3. Mr. Dalyell

asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to Newry.

The Prime Minister

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave him on 13th June.—[Vol. 874, c. 1822.]

Mr. Dalyell

In relation to the historic problems of Ireland, is there not a distinction between on the one hand running away from a nasty situation in a manner which both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition would regard as dishonourable and on the other hand recognising the brutal reality that a military presence by us is counter-productive to the solution of the problem?

The Prime Minister

I do not agree with my hon. Friend on this, as I made clear in the debate on Northern Ireland. There were some hon. Members who took the view of my hon. Friend in that debate, but I think the general view to emerge from that serious and important discussion a few weeks ago was that we must first seek a political solution and then consider what are the military implications of that solution.

My hon. Friend the Secretary of State is discussing these matters with a very open mind, as he told the House, with the main parties and the other interests in Northern Ireland. I believe that to take the simplistic line of pulling out the troops before there is a really serious approach and preferably, as we have all said, a Northern Ireland solution to the problem which guarantees the rights of minorities would aggravate the situation and could lead to a bloodbath.