HL Deb 20 April 1982 vol 429 cc465-6

2.57 p.m.

Lord Renton

My 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 what steps are being taken to identify and protect key targets in the United Kingdom against enemy attack, whether conventional or otherwise; whether local authorities and appropriate industrial managements are being asked to co-operate in this matter; and what steps are being taken to protect such targets from terrorist attacks.

Viscount Trenchard

My Lords, there is a well-established procedure for identifying civil and military installations with a vital role in maintaining the economy and the defence of the country in both peace and war. The procedure provides for full consultation with all interested parties. Appropriate security precautions are undertaken to ensure the protection of such installations against hostile attack, but it would not be in the national interest to give further details.

Lord Renton

My Lords, may I thank my noble friend for that reply and remind him that what he has said is of great importance. Does he bear in mind that recent events point to the necessity for prior preparation, rather than brilliant improvisation at the last minute, and can he assure us that these plans to which he has referred are, in fact, being carried out?

Viscount Trenchard

My Lords, I think I can assure my noble friend that this is a subject of great importance, is understood as being of great importance, and that more than one Government department, as well as the forces, the police and the local authorities play an important part in it. I think I can also assure my noble friend that we review the situation in all the areas concerned to ensure that it is up-to-date, and to ensure that emergency plans are made, particularly in the frightening and uncertain world in which we live today.

Lord Peart

My Lords, on behalf of the Opposition may I say that I am rather surprised that the noble Lord should have introduced this subject. After all, it embarrasses a lot of people and gives information to other people who probably do not deserve to have it. As a fellow gunner, the noble Lord will recognise that he is very wrong in many ways to put such a Question, which is very silly.

Viscount Trenchard

My Lords, I am sorry that I omitted to mention the gunners.

Lord Gladwyn

My Lords, do the Government totally reject the idea of forming some kind of Home Guard for the purposes indicated?

Viscount Trenchard

My Lords, the Government have recently announced the formation of the Home Service Force, which my right honourable friend the Secretary of State announced in relation to his Statement in March on the Territorials and the Reserves. That, certainly, is one of the bits of evidence to show that the situation is kept under constant review, as was the extension of the Royal Marines with the Comacchio Company a few years ago.

Lord Avebury

My Lords, is not one of the best ways of preventing attacks by terrorists on targets within the United Kingdom to stop weapons getting into the hands of psychopathic regimes, like the Libyans, who are prepared to use terrorism as an instrument of policy? Will the noble Viscount give proper attention to this, in conjunction with our European allies, so as to ensure that the activities of the Libyans and the Ethiopians do not spread from the Continent of Africa into our own continent?

Viscount Trenchard

My Lords, that is largely a separate question which the Government also keep under review. Their security arrangements are constantly discussed with their allies.

Lord Renton

My Lords, in view of the doubt thrown by a member of the Opposition Front Bench upon the validity of my Question, may I ask my noble friend whether he is aware that it would be a bad day for democracy if Members of either House of Parliament were not free to ask reasonable questions about the defence of our country?

Viscount Trenchard

My Lords, I accept the noble Lord's supplementary. The importance of this subject is immense. However, I hope he will accept that part of my Answer which the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition reinforced; namely, that it is extremely difficult to answer the Question as put in terms of the actual steps that we are taking.

Lord Inglewood

My Lords, could my noble friend say what scope there is for volunteers to take part in the defence of these key targets? We shall never have enough professionals.

Viscount Trenchard

My Lords, I have already mentioned that, in announcing a major increase in the reserves of the Territorials, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State also announced the formation of the new Home Service Force with this specific object in mind.