Deputy High Commissioner in Bombay: Assassination (Hansard, 27 November 1984)

§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Young)
My Lords, with the leave of the House, I shall now repeat a Statement on the murder of the Deputy High Commissioner in Bombay, which is being made in another place by my right honourable friend the Member for Shoreham. The Statement is as follows:
"With permission, Mr. Speaker, I will make a statement on the murder of our Deputy High Commissioner in Bombay. Shortly before 0800 local time, or 0230 GMT, three shots were fired at our Deputy High Commissioner in Bombay, Percy Norris, on his way to his office. He was hit in the temple and the heart, and died in hospital at about 0845 local time. I am sure that the whole House will wish to register its deepest sympathy for and condolences to Mrs. Norris and her family.
"We understand that no one has yet claimed responsibility for this cowardly and senseless murder. The House will be aware of reports that a man of European appearance was observed on the scene at the time of the killing, but I must emphasise that it is premature to speculate on who may have been responsible or what their motive may have been. The Indian police are making every effort to capture the assailant and are co-operating closely with our High Commission.
"Upon learning of the assassination the Indian Government immediately provided extra security for British diplomatic premises, including British Council offices. The Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, has expressed his deep distress at the tragedy and his condolences to Mr. Norris's family in a message to the Prime Minister.
"Security arrangements of British officials serving overseas are a high priority and are kept under constant review in the light of the known threat. We take this matter very seriously. The House will forgive me if I cannot go into details, for obvious reasons. I can, however, say that the security of our Deputy High Commission in Bombay was inspected last year, and the recommendations have been carried out. More recently, the Indian authorities agreed to provide additional measures of their own. But I would emphasise that it is not possible for diplomats, any more than politicians, to carry out their functions properly and to be assured of absolute security at all times.
"As my right honourable and learned friend the Foreign Secretary has said, this appalling crime demonstrates once again the danger faced by members of the diplomatic service, along with others in public life, from acts of terrorism around the world, which we all strongly condemn".
My Lords, that concludes the Statement.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, we are grateful to the noble Baroness for repeating that Statement. I join with her in total condemnation of this cruel murder, and in expressing our very deep sympathy to Mrs. Norris and her family. His death is a great loss to the diplomatic service and to our country, for Mr. Percy Norris was an experienced and most able diplomat. The lack of information calls for brevity, but I hope the noble Baroness will be able to give us an assurance that, in addition to the action taken by the Indian Government itself today, steps are being taken to examine the security arrangements in all overseas missions so as to minimise the dangers, which are obviously greater today than they have been at any point in modern times. Finally, can the noble Baroness give us an assurance that in any reductions in the FCO budgets expenditure on security arrangements will be excluded?

§ Lord Gladwyn
My Lords, we on these Benches, too, can only deplore and condemn this apparently gratuitous assassination, and extend all our sympathy to the family of the unfortunate victim. It only shows to what dangers our foreign service representatives are now exposed all over the world. We can only hope that additional precautions will be taken to ensure their safety, which I am sure the Government will undertake.

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I should like to thank both the noble Lord, Lord Cledwyn, and the noble Lord, Lord Gladwyn, for their reception of this Statement and for their sympathies, which will be conveyed. On the first of the two points which the noble Lord, Lord Cledwyn, raised about the security of our missions. I should like to confirm that our High Commissioner is in very close touch with the Indian authorities, who have increased security for all our missions in India. Police protection was provided by the Indian authorities for our High Commission and Deputy High Commissions before the murder. I am sure that the noble Lord, or indeed the House, would not expect me to comment further on matters of security.
On the noble Lord's second point about expenditure on security, I am glad to confirm that in fact the amount of money spent on security increases each year and that the cost of security takes up a larger proportion of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office budget. It is, I regret to say, a reflection on the world in which we now live that this should be the case. But I should like to assure the House that the expenditure has increased as a recognition of the importance that we attach to security. I hope that that answers the question which the noble Lord, Lord Gladwyn, put; and, as was said in the original Statement, this is a matter to which we attach a very high priority.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, I am greatly obliged to the noble Baroness for her assurance.

Lord Home of the Hirsel
My Lords, when I was at the Foreign Office, Mr. Norris was an effective and very loyal member of the service, and I should like to be associated, if I may, with the messages of sympathy sent from this House to Mrs. Norris and to her family.

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I should like to thank my noble friend Lord Home very much for his remarks, which I am sure will be greatly appreciated.

§ Lord Chalfont
My Lords, may I ask the Minister whether she will convey to the diplomatic service—I am sure on behalf of the great majority of your Lordships' House—our admiration for the courage they display in carrying out their duties, knowing that they are now the prime targets for international terrorism?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, again I should like to thank the noble Lord, Lord Chalfont. What he says is, very tragically, true, and I am quite sure that it will be of comfort to know that these sympathies and thoughts are expressed on behalf of the whole House.