§ 2.36 p.m.
THE EARL OF ARRANMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether in their view the large-scale purchase of land in Western Ireland by German nationals constitutes a potential threat to the security of the United Kingdom.]
§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (LORD CARRINGTON)No, my Lords.
THE EARL OF ARRANMy Lords, while I am glad to receive the gracious reply of the noble Leader, and while I am aware of the full sovereignty of the Irish Republic, may I ask this question? Will Her Majesty's Government not agree that the safeguarding of our Western Approaches is of high strategical importance, and that if in the event of war these were to fall into unfriendly hands, the survival of both Southern and Northern Ireland and of the United Kingdom would be in danger? Will Her Majesty's Government keep a watchful eye on these developments, if necessary conferring with the Government of Southern Ireland?
§ VISCOUNT MONTGOMERY OF ALAMEINMy Lords, may I ask the noble Earl a question?
§ VISCOUNT MONTGOMERY OF ALAMEINI should have thought that this matter was nothing whatever to do with us.
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, the Federal Republic of Germany is our Ally and a member of NATO. I must say 710 to my noble friend that there are other events in the world which personally cause me more concern than this.
THE EARL OF ARRANWhile I fully realise that Germany is our Ally, would Her Majesty's Government not agree that twice bitten, as we have been in the last fifty years, means twenty times shy? And have they, by any chance, ever read that novel by that great Anglo-Irishman, Mr. Erskine Childers, The Riddle of the Sands?
§ VISCOUNT MONTGOMERY OF ALAMEINMy Lords, perhaps the noble Earl does not understand that today is St. Patrick's Day.