§ 12. Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received a copy of the report of Assistant Chief Constable Peter Smith to the West Mercia police on the case of the late Miss Hilda Murrell; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Giles ShawYes, Sir. Mr. Smith's findings, which he has now presented to the chief constable and to West Mercia police authority, confirm the unsubstantiated nature of the considerable speculation which has arisen in this case.
§ Mr. DalyellIn my recent Adjournment debate I asked careful questions about Sir Robert Armstrong and Mr. Gary Murray. [HON. MEMBERS: "Reading."] What is the Cabinet Secretary's connection with Zeus Security, outlined in the Daily Star of 13 June? [HON. MEMBERS: "Reading."] Does Zeus Security use subcontractors for Government work, and is there truth in Mr. Murray's claim that he was recruited for duties with a specialist Government intelligence department——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman is very experienced. He must not read his question.
§ Mr. DalyellI am framing the question extremely carefully. Was Mr. Murray recruited for duties with a specialist Government intelligence department on a consultancy basis?
§ Mr. Giles ShawThe hon. Gentleman, in the course of the Adjournment debate on 26 June, asked me 73 questions. I am not impugning one bit any of the hon. Gentleman's motives, but one of the questions related to the involvement in any way of British intelligence security, and the hon. Gentleman would know that that 518 was an issue raised in the Adjournment debate on 19 December 1984 as well as in the Adjournment debate on 26 June this year. The hon. Gentleman received a categorical answer from me that in fact Sir Robert Armstrong had been involved in the investigations conducted by Assistant Chief Constable Smith, and I gave the categorical assurance, which Mr. Smith has now endorsed, that there was not a shred of evidence that British security operations were in any way involved in this affair.