§ 24. Mr. Kilfedderasked the Minister of State for Defence whether he is satisfied with the security situation in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Ian GilmourSo long as even a few terrorists pose a threat to the lives and property of the community, the security situation in Northern Ireland is plainly far from satisfactory. But I am satisfied with what is being done by the Army in support of the civil authorities.
§ Mr. Maginnisasked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will make a statement about the incident at St. James Crescent, Belfast as a result of which two soldiers are already known to be dead.
§ Mr. BlakerAt about 7.0 p.m. on Sunday 13th May, an anonymous telephone call was received by the Royal Ulster Constabulary. The caller, believed to be a girl, claimed that she had seen two gunmen enter the empty match factory in St. James Crescent, Belfast. A patrol was sent to investigate but when they entered the factory a bomb exploded, injuring four soldiers. Corporal Taylor and Private Gaskell died later in hospital and the other two soldiers are still seriously ill.
Subsequent investigations by an Army ammunition technical officer suggested that the bomb had contained about 15 lb of explosive, that it had been electrically detonated from an alley at the back of St. James Crescent, and that the ambush had been very carefully prepared.
I understand that two persons have been arrested and charged with murder in connection with this incident.