§ 4.16 p.m.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY OF STATE, NORTHERN IRELAND OFFICE (LORD DONALDSON OF KINGSBRIDGE)My Lords, with the leave of the House I should like to repeat a Statement that is being made in another place by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. It reads as follows:
"With permission, Mr. Speaker, I should like to make a Statement, as promised yesterday by my right honourable friend the Leader of the House, about the deaths of the two soldiers 396 of the 14/20 King's Hussars in Northern Ireland in the early hours of yesterday morning. I was in Northern Ireland myself at the time and immediately arranged a meeting at which the General Officer Commanding, Northern Ireland, and the Chief Constable reported to me, before I left, on this tragic accident.
"The facts are that at about one o'clock in the morning two soldiers of the King's Hussars were returning from leave to their operation location at Newcastle, together with a driver and an escort. In accordance with longstanding practice, they were wearing civilian clothes and for security reasons were travelling in a Commer van. They had travelled from the airport to their unit headquarters at Gosforth Castle where they had collected their personal arms before proceeding to their operational locations.
"The vehicle in which they were travelling broke down at a place known as Shaw's Lake, near Glennanne. A telephone call was made to unit headquarters at Gosforth Castle for a relief vehicle to come to its assistance. The vehicle which had broken down was parked at the roadside to await the arrival of the relief vehicle. The soldiers concerned were outside the broken-down vehicle when an unmarked police car carrying members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, who were on patrol in the area, arrived on the scene. The police were wearing uniform and were armed. Their car, with its headlights on, stopped a short distance from the soldiers. There was an encounter between the soldiers and the police, as a result of which one soldier, Corporal M. F. Herbert, was fatally wounded. A second soldier who was the escort was injured in the arm.
"The relief Army vehicle, which was a civilianised Land-Rover containing soldiers in civilian clothes, approached the scene of the shooting and, finding what seemed to be the results of an I.R.A. ambush, the N.C.O. in charge ordered two soldiers (one of whom was the unwounded passenger in the first vehicle and the other one of his own men) to drive to the nearest phone box in Mowhan to phone for help while he himself remained at the scene. While the soldiers were telephoning, a second police mobile patrol, which had 397 been alerted by the first patrol to the earlier incident at Shaw's Lake, recognised the Land-Rover from the description given to them. This second patrol was also in an unmarked police car; these police were in uniform and were carrying arms. There was a further encounter as a result of which a second soldier, Corporal H. J. Cotton, was fatally wounded.
"These two incidents are the subject of joint investigations by the police and military authorities in Northern Ireland. No effort will be spared to ascertain all the facts concerning what took place and, without prejudice to the outcome of these investigations, the police and the Army have already set in hand an urgent and thorough review of procedures aimed at preventing any possible recurrence. The Coroner of the area has been informed of the deaths, post-mortem examinations have been made and public inquests will be held. The full results of the Chief Constable's investigations, as in all other cases where death or injury results from the use of firearms, will be reported to the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland.
"In these circumstances it would be improper for me to enter into a detailed discussion of the exact circumstances of what took place in a way which might prejudice the outcome of the official investigations and further consideration of the matter by the Coroner and the Director of Public Prosecutions. I will of course again report to the House when the full facts are known. I must say at this stage, however, that there is no truth whatsoever in allegations that the soldiers involved were members of an under-cover, plain-clothes Army unit.
"The House will, I know, wish to express its deepest regret at this tragedy and to convey its sympathy in the fullest measure to the wives and families of those who were killed."
My Lords, that completes the Statement.
§ LORD BELSTEADMy Lords, this Statement has clarified several points in this double tragedy. In thanking the noble Lord, Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridge, for repeating the Statement 398 may I offer him our congratulations on his post (because this is the first time that he has spoken from the Government Dispatch Box) and also our best wishes in the formidable task that he has undertaken. It is formidable because, apart from the continuing problems in Northern. Ireland—and this is one facet we are dealing with this afternoon—the Northern Ireland Office now has only the Secretary of State and two other Ministers. The work involved is going to make very considerable demands on the noble Lord and on his colleagues. Some noble Lords, particularly my noble friend Lord Brookeborough, from his personal experience, the noble Lord, Lord Moyola, and my noble friend Lord O'Neill of the Maine, from their long experience of the Province, well know the difficulties which beset life along the Border. But the battalions responsible for dealing with violence along the immense length of the Border have more than done their duty by keeping up the very high rate of attrition against violence men. I know that all noble Lords on this side of the House would wish to express our sorrow at this news, and to extend our sympathies to the families of Corporal Herbert and Corporal Cotton.
May I ask the noble Lord, Lord Donaldson, two questions? Is Shaw's Lake a target where unidentified men might have been more than usually likely to be engaged in subversive activity? Secondly, the Statement says that the Secretary of State has already met with the G.O.C. and the Chief Constable and had reports from them. Have the Government any reason to believe that normal communication between the Army and the R.U.C. was not observed, particularly when the relief vehicle set out and met the second R.U.C. patrol with such tragic consequences at the post office at Mowhan? I have no further questions to ask. The Statement is quite explicit at the end in saying that the House will be kept fully informed. But I would once again express deep regret from this side of the House, as does the Statement, regarding the soldiers who have lost their lives.
§ LORD BEAUMONT OF WHITLEYMy Lords, in thanking the Minister for repeating that Statement I, too, should like to associate noble Lords on these 399 Benches with the expression of deep shock and sorrow at this pointless tragedy and of sympathy with the relations of the injured and dead men. We welcome the Statement. We particularly welcome the assurance that an undercover plainclothes Army unit was not involved and does not enter into this matter. There is only one question I would ask. The Statement said that joint investigations were being conducted by the Army and the police. May I ask whether the results of those investigations will be made public?—because it would be in the public interest that they should be.
§ LORD DONALDSON OF KINGSBRIDGEMy Lords, I thank the noble Lords for accepting this Statement. It is a tragic one to be my first, but I appreciate the noble Lord's words. The first question the noble Lord, Lord Belstead, asked was whether the first incident was in an area that is a special target for terrorist occasions. My information is that it was not. But it is an isolated area, which is in no sense protected, and at the time the ordinary precautions were being used. The travel took place at night, not for precautionary reasons but because it fitted with the times of the aeroplanes. It is not an especially difficult area, but it is in a part of the country which is at any time liable to give trouble. The noble Lord's second question was whether there was any reason to suppose that the ordinary liaison between the two forces had gone wrong. The answer at this stage is, No. My right honourable friend has asked not to be pressed on this point because the inquiry is going on and I think we should not refer to it further.
To the question of the noble Lord, Lord Beaumont of Whitley, concerning publication of the results of the investigation. I think the answer is, No. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State has said that he will keep the House informed, but that may not perhaps include the general public.