§ Mr. Iain Millsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the joint army and police anti-terrorist exercise Operation Nexus which took place at the National Exhibition Centre on 27 and 28 June;
(2) if, in future, he will make it his practice to inform the relevant local authorities and the Member of Parliament of exercises such as Operation Nexus held in the Meriden parliamentary constituency on 27 and 28 June, in advance;
(3) if he will list the authorities which were notified in advance of Operation Nexus which was held at the National Exhibition Centre on 27 and 28 June.
(4) why persons at the National Exhibition Centre were not informed that Operation Nexus was an exercise; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WhitelawThe exercise was one of a series held by police forces to test contingency plans for handling terrorist incidents. Troops were involved. The chief constable of the West Midlands police has informed me that the management of the Exhibition Centre and the chairman of the Birmingham city council committee responsible for it were informed. The setting of these exercises needs to be realistic, but they are intended to cause no disruption or inconvenience to the public. I very much regret that on this occasion some members of the public were inconvenienced. I understand that the chief constable is writing personally to apologise to those most directly affected.