§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will arrange for the most senior officer in charge of security at Buckingham Palace responsible for allowing the recent breaches of security to be dismissed.
§ Mr. Staintonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which officer or officers of the Metropolitan Police were immediately responsible for the security of Buckingham Palace at the time of the incident involving an illegal entry into the bedroom of Her Majesty the Queen; and whether any of these officers have been put on inactive duty or transferred pending the outcome of the investigation by Assistant Commissioner Dellow.
§ Mr. WhitelawIn my statement on 21 July—[Vol. 28, c. 397–407]—I reported that the commander, A district, has resigned from the Metropolitan Police and that the chief inspector at the palace has been transferred to other duties. Those were the two officers charged with the supervision of the uniformed officers at the palace. I also reported that four officers are subject to disciplinary inquiries and explained that my appellate responsibility precluded further comment from me on their cases.
§ Mr. Staintonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the failure of the Metropolitan Police adequately to protect Buckingham Palace and the person of Her Majesty the Queen, he will supplement the investigation now being conducted by police authorities with independent appraisals from private sector security specialists.
§ Mr. WhitelawIn my statement on 21 July—[Vol. 28, c. 397–407]—1 explained that I had asked assistant commissioner Dellow, in continuing his inquiry in respect of assessments of further physical security measures, to draw on all sources of available expertise in the public and private sectors.