§ Mr. Michael McNair-Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the incident last week outside the Royal Ordnance establishment at Burghfield, near Reading, involving two members of the Hungarian Embassy's staff; if he will now state how many photographs of the establishment were taken by the Hungarians; and what steps he intends to take to limit the movement of east European embassy staff to ensure that a further incident of this kind cannot happen.
§ Mr. CroslandEarly in the morning of Thursday 22nd April a member of the staff of the Royal Ordnance Factory at Burghfield saw a car containing two people, subsequently identified as the Assistant Military and Air Attaché at the Hungarian Embassy in London, Lt.-Col. Hajma, and a member of the Embassy's administrative and technical staff, Captain Andras Toth, stop immediately outside the factory. One of the people in the car was seen to take at least one photograph of the front entrance. The police were informed, and after a chase at high speed the car was stopped. Its occupants were asked to go to Basingstoke police station. This they did at about 8.15 a.m., where they identified themselves. After enquiries had been made to confirm that they were entitled to diplomatic immunity they were told that they were free to go, and left Basingstoke police station in their car at 1.30 p.m.
The circumstances and implications of this incident have been exhaustively examined. On the evidence which has been submitted to me it is not possible to state that damage has been caused to our national security. The fact remains that the two Hungarian diplomats behaved in a manner calculated to provoke the attentions of those charged with the protection of our security. I have considered very carefully whether we should declare the two Hungarian diplomats persona non grata, but I have concluded that it is questionable whether their expulsion would achieve any purpose which has not already been served by the publicity which such episodes inevitably attract. I would certainly hope that the warning which such publicity naturally 199W constitutes would be taken very seriously by all concerned and would discourage any attempts to repeat such foolish and provocative acts.
Behaviour of this kind can of course affect our political relations, and I have taken steps to ensure that the Hungarian Ambassador is made fully aware of this.
I should like to commend the alertness of the staff of the Royal Ordnance Factory, Burghfield, and of the Hampshire Constabulary in reacting so promptly to the report they received.
We are in favour of greater freedom of movement and travel, not less. The only restrictions we impose on the movements of foreign diplomats are on a basis of reciprocity. This episode has shown that our existing security arrangements are able to respond effectively to threats such as the incident at Burghfield.