17. Mr. J. Enoch Powellasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many domiciliary visits were made in 1984 to date by officials of the Northern Ireland Office to Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
§ Mr. PriorTwo, Sir. The meeting places were mutually agreed for the convenience of those concerned.
Mr. PowellIs the right hon. Gentleman not embarrassed by the fact that officials of his Department intervened with members of political parties in Northern Ireland in a way which would not be tolerated or even imagined in the rest of the United Kingdom?
§ Mr. PriorThe answer to that is no, because they did not intervene in that particular manner. These were specific requests, which dealt with two particular marches at Ballynahinch, and that remains the position. Officials of my Department have instructions that, if they visit people to inquire about these matters, it will be in order and right of those inquiries always to be reported to the leaders of political parties.
§ Mr. MaginnisIf the Secretary of State believes that, he obviously has no knowledge of visits that were made, among others, to myself, prior to the setting up of the Assembly, when certain incentives were held out by officials from the Northern Ireland Office for me to give whole-hearted support to the Assembly.