Security (Hansard, 25 March 1982)

§ 4. Mr. Molyneaux
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.

§ 13. Mr. Stanbrook
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.

§ Mr. Prior
Since I last answered questions, on 25 February, three civilians and three members of the security forces have been murdered by terrorists. That includes the serious incident this morning in which three soldiers were shot dead outside Springfield Road police station, Belfast. Of the other murders, one—that of an 11-year-old boy on 15 March—was caused in the Provisional IRA's bombing attack in Banbridge, Armagh, Newry, Newtownstewart and Belfast. The bomb in Banbridge went off without warning and 23 persons were also injured there. On 5 March a man was found shot dead near the border, the Provisional IRA claiming, without foundation, that he was an informer. On 12 March, a man who had left the Ulster Defence Regiment more than six years ago was shot dead by the Provisional IRA in front of his wife and child as he 1078 arrived for his day's work. In their different ways, those six killings sum up the horror and shocking futility of the terrorists' business in Northern Ireland today.
There was also an attempt to assassinate the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Lowry, on 2 March when he arrived at Queen's University, Belfast, to give a lecture. Lord Lowry was not injured, but another man was hit.
Apart from the bombs that exploded on 15 March, there were nine other terrorist bombing incidents. In the past four weeks, the security forces neutralised 11 bombs and seized 27 weapons and 1,505 rounds of ammunition.
In the same period, 73 people were charged with terrorist crimes, including one with murder and 11 with attempted murder. The police have had increasing success in bringing to justice before the courts many of those responsible for past outrages. Since the beginning of 1982, 204 people have been charged with terrorist-type crimes.

§ Mr. Molyneaux
Following the dastardly killing of three soldiers in Belfast this morning, does the Secretary of State agree that it is highly dangerous for people to assert that terrorist agencies have been seriously damaged or broken by the activities of informers? Does he also share our grave concern at the failure in Fermanagh, at the other end of the Province, to bring to justice the murderers of 50 law-abiding citizens of that county? Will he assure the House that everything possible will be done to bring the murderers of those people to justice?

§ Mr. Prior
On the hon. Gentleman's latter point, certainly everything possible will be done to bring murderers to justice. On his earlier point, today's events are a timely reminder of the present position, the need for vigilance and the fact that violence is never far removed from the Northern Ireland scene.
I should like to express on behalf of the whole House the feelings that we have for the families of the three men who were killed today, as well as for the families of all those who serve in Northern Ireland in the interests of the peace of the whole Province and the people of Northern Ireland. We must continue to do all that we can to help the security forces and to bring peace and stability to the Province. That will not be done quickly or easily. That is why it is so important that no hon. Member should say anything that makes the task of peaceful persuasion more difficult.

§ Mr. Stanbrook
Is it not an appalling stain on the honour of a civilised country that it can allow the perpetrators of such crimes refuge and refuse to extradite them to face courts and trial? Is my right hon. Friend aware that the arrangements for extra-territorial jurisdiction are inadequate and will not succeed in returning most of those criminals to Northern Ireland for trial? Will he therefore tell the Irish Republic that it should do the decent thing and drop its bogus excuses for not signing the European convention on the suppression of terrorism, and sign that convention?

§ Mr. Prior
I have already made my views plain on that matter. The House is worried about that point. What is more, I am certain that the Irish Government are under no illusions as to what we think.

§ Mr. Concannon
Is the Secretary of State aware that the Opposition wish to join him in offering our respects and condolences to the families of those who have suffered from the dastardly deeds that took place this morning, 1079 when three more of our young soldiers died while carrying out their duty on behalf of this country? In the past week I have read the newspapers and listened to the television comments, so this morning's killings seemed to me only another predictable response by the IRA. Those killings were due in part to all the loose talk about the demise of the IRA. People should not engage in loose talk about the demise of the IRA, because the IRA's response to that is predictable. Such a response leads to the death not only of those three young soldiers but of others. I share the Secretary of State's view that sometimes the loose talk would be better not engaged in.

§ Mr. Prior
I am grateful for the right hon. Gentleman's comments. Every time anyone in the press or elsewhere talks about the demise of the IRA, that is an open invitation for it to reappear. Therefore, the less said about those things, the better. We can rejoice privately when we think that we are doing a little better than we were, but we should all realise the dangers.

§ Rev. Ian Paisley
Does the right hon. Gentleman accept that all right-thinking people in Northern Ireland will fully endorse what he said today in sympathy to those recent victims of IRA atrocities and all victims in Northern Ireland? Will he assure us that there shall be no large payment or amnesty to IRA murderers, no matter what information they are prepared to sell to the Royal Ulster Constabulary? Has he any information, as has been made clear by the hon. Member for Antrim, South (Mr. Molyneaux), that the CIA is engaged in murderous practices in Northern Ireland and Great Britain?

§ Mr. Prior
The Chief Constable of the RUC has made it clear that people have not been offered large sums of money. The police offer a safe haven to people who give evidence on which terrorists can be brought to justice. The police provide them with assistance to start a new life. They are not bribed or threatened. The information that we have been receiving is of great importance. We must protect the people who give us that information and their families. I know of no such evidence about the CIA as the hon. Gentleman mentions. When President Reagan is going out of his way to be helpful to us, especially in the St. Patrick's Day speech, there should be more recognition of the real help that we are getting from some of our friends.