§ Mr. O'Halloranasked the Prime Minister to what extent the General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland has control of security matters in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the present division of responsibility for internal security in Northern Ireland, in particular specifying the scope of the authority of the General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland and of the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Northern Ireland Government has responsibility for maintaining law and order in the Province. In exercise of this responsibility it has called in the support of the Armed Forces. Within this framework, the General Officer Commanding, Northern Ireland, has overall responsibility, to the Ministry of Defence, for security operations. He works in the closest co-operation with the Northern Ireland Government through the Joint Security Committee, and co-ordinates the allocation of duties to the Royal Ulster Constabulary in relation to security operations.
These responsibilities date from 24th October, 1969, when those set out in the communique issued on 19th August, 1969, and published as Cmnd. 4154, were modified. In August, 1969, the General Officer Commanding was given full control of the deployment and allocation of duties to the Royal Ulster Constabulary for all matters relating to security operations; in October, 1969, his directive was amended to make him responsible for co-ordinating the allocation of duties to them in relation to such operations.
144WBefore August, 1969, the General Officer Commanding's responsibilities in relation to the Royal Ulster Constabulary for internal security purposes involved merely the arranging of mutual assistance between the Services and the R.U.C.