§ 32. Rev. Ian Paisleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many times Army units have been instructed in Northern Ireland not to arrest IRA terrorists using rifles because of the possible escalation of violence ;
(2) why the Army has been refused permission to arrest armed IRA terrorists on the grounds of political expediency.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is responsible for overall security policy. The Government's declared intention is to defeat politically motivated violence from whatever source, and all decisions on arrests are directed to this end. It is not practicable to ascertain how many times orders on any particular point have been given by Army commanders to their units, but every effort is made to arrest armed terrorists, except where there would be undue risk to innocent lives.