European Assembly (Visits) (Hansard, 10 March 1983)

§ 3. Mr. Marlow
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department has arranged any visits to Northern Ireland for Members of the European assembly.

§ 16. Mr. Brotherton
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will seek to address the European Parliament on the situation in Northern Ireland.

§ Mr. Prior
My Department, when requested to do so, has assisted with the arrangements for visits to Northern Ireland by Members of the European Parliament wishing to learn at first hand about the conditions that prevail there.
I have no intention of addressing the European Parliament on the subject of the political situation in Northern Ireland. The Government's position remains as set out in my reply to the hon. Member for Antrim, South (Mr. Molyneux) on 24 February, that the European Parliament has no business to discuss the internal political affairs of a member state. However, the Government will of course continue their efforts to ensure that our policy on Northern Ireland is well understood around the world, including in the European Parliament.

§ Mr. Marlow
Will my right hon. Friend tell the inadequately employed itinerants of the Brussels travelling circus, who seem increasingly bent on the acquisition of powers at the expense of this House, that they will not be welcome in Northern Ireland and that their ill-judged initiative will not receive any support whatever from him?

§ Mr. Prior
I know my hon. Friend's views on the Community and I do not share them. Therefore, I am not prepared to use the adjectives that he used about my hon. Friends in the European Parliament.

§ Mr. Brotherton
Although I welcome my right hon. Friend's reply as far as it goes, does he agree that an official visit by busybodies from that Mickey Mouse assembly would certainly do no good in Northern Ireland and would probably do harm? In addition to telling them that they will not be welcome, will my right hon. Friend also refuse permission to visit Northern Ireland to those who purport to form an official investigation team from the European Parliament?

§ Mr. Prior
Without casting aspersions on my hon. Friend or anyone else, I must say that there are Mickey Mouses in most assemblies.

§ Mr. Nicholas Winterton
But this honourable House is a Parliament.

§ Mr. Prior
That may let a lot of people off who might otherwise be worried. On the second part of my hon. Friend's question, the Government's position is clear. We are not inviting any Member of the European Parliament to visit under the auspices of that committee. However, I hope that other people will take the opportunity to impress on Members of the European Parliament the true political facts of Northern Ireland, and not those that they might otherwise obtain.

§ Mr. Molyneaux
Will the Secretary of State take this opportunity to reinstate in his remarks the passage that he dropped from the circulated text of his reply to my Private Notice Question on 24 February, to the effect that the Government would give no assistance to any such investigation?

§ Mr. Prior
The Government will not take part in any negotiations with that committee.

§ Mr. Stephen Ross
Although I welcome the Secretary of State's response to the original question, does he agree that the European Parliament's initiative has been greatly misrepresented and that it is a good idea to invite our allies, both in Europe and the United States of America, to learn at first hand exactly what the situation is in Northern Ireland, and that that is borne out by the recent demonstrations against our Queen in the United States? What have we to hide?

§ Mr. Prior
We have nothing to hide. If Members of the European Parliament wish to come, we are perfectly prepared to invite them on that basis, but we are not prepared to allow the European Parliament to interfere in the affairs of Northern Ireland, or the internal affairs of another country. That remains our position.

§ Mr. Nicholas Winterton
Although I fully support the view expressed by my right hon. Friend when he says that the European Parliament has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of a member state, will he express the hope—given that a Republican member from Northern Ireland has supported such interference in the affairs of the United Kingdom—that when Members of the European Parliament visit Northern Ireland, they will urge the SDLP and Sinn Fein Members of the assembly to participate fully in its affairs and business? In that way the assembly can be made to work to the advantage of all Northern Ireland's people.

§ Mr. Prior
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his support on the assembly, which I have noticed on previous occasions. I want everyone to take part in the assembly and I hope that the Members of the European Parliament will persuade certain members of their own organisation to take part.

§ Mr. Concannon
Is the Secretary of State aware that we would also encourage anyone to visit Northern Ireland to find out what is happening in the Province? The danger arises only from the one-day-visit wonders, as I call them, who come up with one-line solutions afterwards?

§ Mr. Prior
I endorse every one of the right hon. Gentleman's remarks.

§ Mr. Marlow
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Is it in order to refer to Members of the European Parliament as hon. Friends?

§ Mr. Speaker
It is a matter of indifference to me at the moment.