§ Mr. SpeakerI should like to make a statement.
On 25th July 1974 the Leader of the House informed the House that at the request of the Government, and with the agreement of the Lord Chancellor and myself, the Commissioner for Police for the Metropolis had arranged for a security review of the Palace of Westminster to be 732 carried out by the Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, now Sir James Starritt. The report is now in my hands, and the House will wish me to express its gratitude to Sir James Starritt for his thorough and comprehensive examination.
When announcing the setting up of the review, the Leader of the House said that he thought that some of the recommendations would need to come before the House for a decision, while others—perhaps on more confidential matters—might be decided administratively. I have been considering, in consultation with the Leader of the House and with the authorities of the House of Lords, how in these circumstances the Report might best be considered.
Those whom I have consulted are in general agreement that the most effective way would be to set up a small Committee, consisting of four members of each House, those from this House being amongst the members of the Select Committee on House of Commons Services. The Committee would be an informal one, as was the Committee under the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Middlesbrough (Mr. Bottomley) to study the Compton Report, and not a Joint Select Committee set up by Resolution of both Houses. It will report jointly to myself and, I understand, to the Lord Chairman of Committees in the House of Lords: so far as this House is concerned it will then be for me, in consultation with the Leader of the House, to consider what further action should be taken; in particular whether all or part of the Report, which is at present graded Secret, should be laid on the Table of the House.