HC Deb 17 December 1979 vol 976 cc55-7
Rev. Ian Paisley

I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 9, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration; namely, the murder by the Irish Republican Army of five soldiers and one ex-member of the Ulster Defence Regiment in Ulster yesterday. The peace and calm of the Ulster Sabbath day was rudely shattered yesterday by three blood-curdling attacks by the IRA upon the security forces. Along the main road leading from Dungannon via Ballygawley towards Omagh and Inniskillen the IRA set up a bomb under a culvert. By remote control, they detonated that explosive of about 600 to 1,000 lbs and four gallant soldiers were done brutally to death.

I should like to put those soldiers' names on the record today, as I feel that the people of Northern Ireland would like on the record their acknowledgment of the gallantry of those four men. Gunner William John Beck was 23 and came from Belfast. The three others were from England: Lance Bombadier Keith Charles Richards, aged 22, Gunner Simon Peter Evans, aged 19, and Gunner Allan David Ayrton, aged 21. The tragedy of the killing is that the IRA is now able to set up on a main public highway an explosive device, survey that road from afar, and then carry out such a killing.

I said in the House on Tuesday that I believed that the security policy of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland was in shreds. I regret that the House has had a demonstration of that through these killings. I understand that the right hon. Gentleman is not able to be here, because he is visiting the site. I appreciate that. I put that firmly on the record.

There was another killing yesterday, on the Newtownhamilton-Dundalk road, where a young soldier, whose name has not yet been released, a member of the 2nd Parachute Regiment, was killed by a booby trap. Then in the town of Omagh in the county of Tyrone, an ex-member of the Ulster Defence Regiment, James Fowler, was brutally gunned down in the presence of his young son, aged 13.

The House should remember that there have been 120 killings so far this year in Northern Ireland. Of those victims, 71 have been members of the security forces.

When I came into the Chamber today, I was called out to take a telephone call from home and was told the tragic news of another killing of a prison officer—a carbon copy of a killing that took place a few weeks ago in the same circumstances on the steps of the same club.

Surely the time has come when the House and the Government must do something about the security situation. Instead of having reaction to such terrible incidents, the House should see that the security forces come off the defensive and go on the offensive, as they did in London in the recent rounding up of well-known terrorists. I trust that the action taken in this city will be taken across the whole Province, especially in the Republican ghettos.

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Gentleman gave me notice before 12 o'clock noon today that he would seek leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that he believes should have urgent consideration, namely: the murder by the IRA of five soldiers and one ex-member of the UDR in Ulster yesterday. I listened, as the House did, with deep concern to the application that the hon. Gentleman made relating to the continuing toll in Ulster. The House knows that my responsibilities are very limited in this regard. Whether the matter should be debated is not for me. The limit of my responsibilities and power is merely whether it should be debated tonight or tomorrow. The House has also instructed me to give no reasons for my decision.

After giving very careful consideration to the representations that the hon. Gentleman made, I have to rule that his submission does not fall within the provisions of the Standing Order, and therefore I cannot submit his application to the House.

Mr. Foot

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. The House appreciates your problems in ruling on such a Standing Order No. 9 application and on any private notice question on such a matter. However, I am sure that the House is well aware of the feelings about such horrific events and I hope that it will be possible for the Government to make a statement on the subject tomorrow.

I realise that it is difficult to distinguish between one event and another, but these are certainly extremely horrific events, and I think that a statement should be made to the House as soon as the Government are in a position to do so.

Mr. Speaker

The right hon. Gentleman's words will have been heard by the Government. As the House knows, it is not for me to decide whether a matter ought to be debated, except within the narrow limits to which I have already referred.