§ VISCOUNT BRIDGEMANMy 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 they will make a statement on recent reports of the tapping of the telephones of senior officials of the Ministry of Defence.]
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE (LORD CARRINGTON)My Lords, extensive inquiries in my Department and in other Departments that might be concerned have produced no information to justify the newspaper report which I imagine the noble Lord had in mind. What I can tell your Lordships is that, owing to the exemplary conduct of a junior official of the Ministry of Defence, the attempts of a Russian Embassy official some months ago to obtain classified information about official telephone numbers and duties of members of the Ministry of Defence were frustrated. The Russian official has since left the country.
§ VISCOUNT BRIDGEMANMy Lords. I hope the noble Lord is aware that that Answer is very far from disappointing.
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether he thinks that this newspaper, which was responsible for some disgraceful canard 151 against him some years ago, is just taking up an old theme? Would he care to comment on the slightly ludicrous nature of some of the charges made?
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, in view of what I have said, I do not think it is really necessary to comment any further. The Answer speaks for itself, and I am sure the newspaper concerned will take note of it.