HC Deb 18 July 1974 vol 877 cc646-7
11. Mrs. Knight

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to how many persons he has refused entry to Britain in connection with the meeting of the Terrorist International in Belfast.

Mr. Roy Jenkins

None so far, but as I said in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Epping Forest (Mr. Biggs-Davison) on 27th June—[Vol. 875, c. 533–4.]—I shall not hesitate to use my powers under the Immigration Act 1971 to prevent the entry into the United Kingdom of anyone subject to control who there is reason to believe may engage in acts of violence or encourage or incite such acts.

Mrs. Knight

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that that answer is not altogether satisfactory and that it is highly offensive to the British people that known international terrorists should meet on British soil to plot and plan against free and democratic people? Will not the right hon. Gentleman recognise the seriousness with which people view this matter?

Mr. Jenkins

Of course I recognise the seriousness with which people view this matter. But some people, like the hon. Lady, who claim to be great upholders of the law, seem to have no regard as to whether I should proceed by means of the process of law or not. They seem to have no regard to the fact that what I can do and shall do is to apply the law, and apply it fairly. I cannot invent laws. The case of the Official Sinn Fein which may be organising a gathering, partly in Dublin and partly in Northern Ireland, is not a matter for me.

We shall deal very strictly with cases of people who apply for visas and with people who try to come here on their way to the gathering, but I cannot conduct a questionnaire throughout the world asking who is and who is not likely to come, if those people do not apply for visas and do not present themselves at British ports of entry.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

If the Home Secretary will be a little less frivolous, may I ask, with regard to the matter of visas, whether he is in touch with the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary and whether the police in this country are in touch with the Garda in the Irish Republic? There is to be, as he has said, a curtain raiser in Dublin to the gala in Belfast? If so, co-operation between our two countries, who face the same perils, is important.

Mr. Jenkins

Yes, indeed; I agree with the hon. Gentleman. I can assure him, without going into the details, that we have taken considerable preparatory steps to deal with any difficulty that may arise in this way.

With regard to visas, the position varies according to the countries, but visas would have to be applied for in advance by nationals of all East European countries and of Cuba and most Arab countries. There has been no advance notice and no request from overseas from any national of the group of countries I have indicated. But we are in co-operation with the appropriate bodies.

Mrs. Knight

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall seek to raise this matter on the Adjournment as early as possible.