HL Deb 04 May 1983 vol 442 cc75-6

2.50 p.m.

Lord Paget of Northampton

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the Government of Libya about the deployment reported in the Sunday Telegraph on 10th April of "Carlo-trained" terrorists in Europe and Africa; and whether they have any information about the numbers to be sent to this country.

Lord Belstead

My Lords, we have no independent confirmation of these reports, but we have been concerned by Libyan statements to the effect that they still regard violence as an option. The Government have made their views known to the Libyan authorities at a high level in recent months. My honourable friend the Minister for Health discussed the matter in general terms when he was in Tripoli in February. He received assurances to which we attach great importance.

Lord Renton

My Lords, will my noble friend ensure that the immigration officers are alerted as to the possible arrival of these terrorists, so that they can intercept them and return them to the country from which they came?

Lord Belstead

My Lords, I shall certainly draw my noble friend's request to the attention of my right honourable friend the Home Secretary, who would be responsible for this matter.

Lord Paget of Northampton

My Lords, the noble Lord says that we have no confirmation of this information, which relates to a matter which is so dangerous to our public order. Is he doing anything about getting confirmation or information? How long are we going to go on dealing with assassin states as though they were ordinary, respectable members of the community of nations? They are not; they are public enemies.

Lord Belstead

My Lords, we have not done what the noble Lord is asking of me, which is to follow up newspaper reports; but I shall state what we have done. After the incidents in 1980 in which, the noble Lord will remember, three Libyans were assassinated in this country, we sought and received assurances that there would be no repetition of such behaviour. We made it very clear that otherwise there could be no future in Anglo-Libyan relations. We attach importance to those assurances, but we have no illusions, and we are watching Libyan actions closely.