HL Deb 17 February 1986 vol 471 cc401-3

2.36 p.m.

Lord Jenkins of Putney

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 will comment on the article by Yossef Bodansky in Jane's Defence Weekly alleging Soviet intelligence infiltration among those women camped at Greenham Common.

The Minister of State for Defence Support (Lord Trefgarne)

My Lords, we do not comment on specific reports of this nature. We are, however, aware of the threat which could be posed in a time of crisis or war by enemy special purpose forces operating in this country. Your Lordships will recall that Exercise Brave Defender last September was designed specifically to test our plans for the defences of vital installations against such a threat.

Lord Jenkins of Putney

My Lords, would the noble Lord not agree that the spreading of false stories does more harm than good; harm not only to those about whom it is spread but harm also to those who are seeking to defend the country in a proper way? Having regard to the good reputation hitherto of Jane's Defence Weekly, would it not be a good idea if it was to admit that on this occasion it had been misled and that it had reported a totally false story by a journalist known to be given to science fiction, backed by detail that is completely spurious? In all these circumstances, would not a withdrawal and an apology be a good idea?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, that is really, I believe, a question that should be addressed to the proprietors of the magazine concerned. I do not think that I can help the noble Lord further.

Lord Campbell of Croy

My Lords, can my noble friend think of any information that Soviet intelligence can obtain by joining these campers that it does not know already? Can it be that it is studying at close quarters the theory of unilateralism since this is a doctrine unfamiliar to it not espoused or practised by the Soviet Government? Is that making it worth its while to brave the squalor and discomfort? Or is this just a case of alarmism and seeing Reds in the nettle beds?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, the only advice, I believe, that I can offer anyone visiting these establishments is to have a good bath afterwards.

Lord A vebury

My Lords, would one be able to recognise these ladies by the presence of snow on their boots?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, I do not know about that. But this week it might be so.

Lord Hatch of Lusby

My Lords, even if the Government do not make a practice of commenting on such stories, will they accept that this is a piece of disinformation which has been either deliberately or carelessly planted in a well known journal?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, as I have said, we do not comment on specific reports of this nature. If I were to follow the path that the noble Lord suggests, I might be doing just that.

Lord Peyton of Yeovil

My Lords, is it not rather appropriate that that question should have come from the noble Lord opposite who, after all, is no amateur when it comes to disinformation?

Lord Mayhew

My Lords, does not the noble Lord recall the successful infiltration by the KGB of his own Ministry, of the Foreign Ministry, of MI5 and of MI6? Why does CND worry about being infiltrated? It is a highly respectable experience.

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, the noble Lord is allowing his imagination to run away with him.

Lord Graham of Edmonton

My Lords, if there is not a shred of evidence to back up this story, why does not the Minister say precisely that?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, because, as I have now said twice or three times, we do not comment on specific reports of this kind.

Lord Molloy

My Lords, we have heard statements from Mr. Shcharansky, Senator Kennedy and many other prominent allies to our cause who say that this is the best time ever for a good relationship between President Reagan and Mr. Gorbachev. Therefore, is it not a good thing that the Government should dismiss silly things said about this incident and also say properly and profoundly that we hope that this ridiculous behaviour, brought to our notice so capably by my noble friend Lord Jenkins of Putney, will have no damaging effect on future discussions?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, I doubt that anything I could say in response to this question would have any effect upon the relations between Mr. Gorbachev and President Reagan.