HC Deb 22 July 1971 vol 821 cc330-2W
45. Mr. Goodhart

asked the Minister of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost, in terms of man-hours and money, of British responsibility for guarding processions and marches in Northern Ireland since 1st January, 1971.

Mr. G. Johnson Smith

I regret that this information could not be provided without the expenditure of undue time and effort.

46. Mr. McManus

asked the Minister of State for Defence what are the regulations governing the taking of photographs by the Army in Northern Ireland.

Mr. G. Johnson Smith

The taking of photographs in a public place does not generally speaking require the sanction of any specific legal regulation.

Miss Devlin

asked the Minister of State for Defence what is the meaning of the term, marksman, as used by British Army spokesmen in Northern Ireland and applied to British Army personnel ; how such marksmen are selected ; and by what ranks they are instructed to shoot to kill.

Mr. G. Johnson Smith

I do not know of any official statement in which the term "marksman" was used in the context implied in the Question.

I have nothing to add to my hon. Friend's statement to the House on 26th May on the circumstances in which members of Her Majesty's Forces may open fire.—[Vol. 818, c. 375.]

Miss Devlin

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether his Department maintains a newspaper clipping service which ensures that comments on the situation of the armed forces in Northern Ireland, made by papers circulated in that area, are available ; whether such clipping services maintain surveillance of the content of the Belfast Newsletter, Belfast Telegraph, Irish News, Irish Times, Irish Independent and Sunday News ; and whether he will make a statement.

Mr. G. Johnson Smith

Press cuttings are available to the Department from all these newspapers.

Miss Devlin

asked the Minister of State for Defence how many spent cartridges were collected by the armed forces in the Londonderry area on each of the 10 days prior to the shooting of Seamus Cusack ; by what persons were these collected ; and by whom these were examined.

Mr. G. Johnson Smith

The information requested in the first part of the answer is not readily available. As a matter of regular practice any material that may be used as evidence following a shooting incident is collected, analysed by the Army ammunition technical officer, and the evidence passed to the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

Miss Devlin

asked the Minister of State for Defence (1) whether British Army intelligence personnel or other British Army personnel are present in the Crumlin Road Jail, Belfast, carrying out, among other activities, the duties ordinarily discharged by warders ; at what times such persons have been present in Crumlin Road Jail since August, 1969 ; what purpose their presence there serves ; and whether he will make a statement ;

(2) on how many occasions have British Army personnel been admitted to Crumlin Road jail for the purpose of speaking with convicted and remanded persons during each month since August, 1969.

Mr. G. Johnson Smith

Arrangements for the administration of prisons in orthern Ireland are the responsibility of the civil authority. It is not the practice to comment on intelligence matters.

Mr. McManus

asked the Minister of State for Defence what happens to the weapons which are found as a result of arms searches by the security forces in Northern Ireland.

Mr. G. Johnson Smith

The disposal of such weapons is a matter for the civil authority.

Mr. McManus

asked the Minister of State for Defence whether persons received pellet wounds from shotguns on the occasion when James Saunders was shot in Belfast ; and if the persons responsible were apprehended by the security forces.

Mr. G. Johnson Smith

I regret that I have no information on this point.