§ 2.48 p.m.
§ Lord SHINWELLMy 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 any of the Governments who are expected to attend the forthcoming Commonwealth Conference have asked for security assurances for their representatives during their stay in this country.
§ Lord SHINWELLMy Lords, does not that somewhat negative reply indicate that many of the delegations will provide their own security facilities, and has not General Amin already offered to be accompanied by at least 250 of his very formidable bodyguard? In view of the expense involved in providing security facilities, would it not be better to encourage those delegations to follow the lead of General Amin and to be accompanied by their security assistants and accomplices, in order to save a great deal of expense and trouble?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSOn the contrary, my Lords. I have every confidence in our police, with whom the responsibility for the protection of those attending this conference lies.
Lord JANNERMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether, in view of the fact that it is President Amin to whom attention is drawn, it is we who need to be protected against him and his bodyguards?
§ Lord SHINWELLMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that the Answer that he gave was a very poor, impoverished answer? Is he aware that we have the utmost confidence in our police force and that I was not asking that question? I was asking whether these people who are coming here—many of whom will be very welcome—will be providing their own security facilities? Can my noble friend answer that question with a "Yes" or a "No"?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I am not aware that any visiting delegation for the Heads of Government meeting is providing its own protective facilities because they are well aware from previous experience of the excellence of the provision by our own police.