§ 18. Mr. William Rossasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he is satisfied with the firearms at present issued to the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
§ Mr. RossThe Minister is aware that the full measure of the weapons from America have not yet been delivered. If they have not yet been delivered and they are not now needed, why is the order still there?
§ Mr. PattenThe order from the Royal Ulster Constabulary is under review by our friends and allies in the United States. We try to understand why they chose not to supply us with hand guns, but we remain disappointed that they continue not to do so.
§ Mr. Robert AtkinsDoes my hon. Friend agree that it is ironic that the American Government are prepared to sell us Trident at a very good rate but are not prepared to provide hand guns for the Royal Ulster Constabulary?
§ Mr. PattenI entirely take my hon. Friend's point. It is a point that he put very forcefully in exactly the same 1083 terms a month ago. I shall answer in exactly the same way as I did then and assure the House that the Royal Ulster Constabulary has adequate and sufficient weapons, and that any request from the Chief Constable and the Police Authority for more weapons or weapons of a different sort will, of course, be sympathetically considered.