§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the answer of the right hon. Member for East Kilbride (Mr. Ingram) of 11 March 2002,Official Report,column 656W, (1) how many individuals can be seen on CCTV video tape delivering and displaying the banner as the Bloody Sunday commemorative march approached the Derry City walls on 27 January; how many of those individuals have been identified; what facilities are available for military police to view video footage; and what further action he plans to take; [43884]
(2) what type of vehicle was identified on closed circuit television video tape transporting the banner unfurled on Deny City walls on 27 January; what the ownership record of the vehicle is; and what further action he plans to take; [43885]
(3) what assessment (a)he and (b)the Military Police have made of the origin and age of the banner removed by police from the Derry City walls on 27 January; on 38W what previous occasions has it been publicly displayed in Derry; what the organisation affiliation of those in control of its display was; and at what location it is being stored. [43886]
§ Jane KennedyThe police operation on the date in question was low-key and discreet as agreed with the march organisers. Police on duty did not witness the alleged display of the banner. CCTV footage over a two-hour period at the material time and location has been examined and discloses no evidence of a banner being transported or displayed. Police did not remove a banner nor do they have the banner in their possession. A report in theDerry Journalof 5 February would suggest that the banner is in the possession of the Bloody Sunday marchers.