§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give details of the numbers of men, plant and equipment connected with the security arrangements at Buckingham Palace and the change in the number and costs since 1979; and, if this information is not available for public communication, he will ensure that it is made available to those investigating the most recent security problems which occurred in July.
§ Mr. WhitelawIt would not serve the interests of security to make these details public. The information is fully available to those inquiring into the problems.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will arrange to have a special inquiry conducted by a police force unconnected with the Metropolitan force into the various failures in the security arrangements at Buckingham Palace since October 1979;
(2) whether he will take action to appoint a Committee of the House of Commons or Privy Councillors or a committee of judicial inquiry into all aspects of the failures of the security precautions which have occurred on several occasions since October 1979.
§ Mr. WhitelawNo. In my statement on 21 July—[Vol. 28, c.397–407]—I reported on the investigations which had been undertaken and are continuing, and announced new arrangements and the inquiry by Lord Bridge. I believe that these measures fully meet the need for thorough and dispassionate inquiries.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give a detailed list of the security breakdowns in the protection of Buckingham Palace and the Royal Family since October 1979, the dates of such incidents, and what happened in each instance.
§ Mr. WhitelawI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 19 July to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Mr. Shepherd), to my statement on 21 July on Buckingham Palace security—[Vol. 28, c.397–407]—and the related detailed account of the major breach of security on 9 July—[Vol. 28, c. 19–20]—which I have had placed in the Library, and to the reply I have given today to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway).
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will cause an investigation to be made to ascertain how and why the interim police report on the security breaches at Buckingham Palace was given or leaked to the press, radio and television before his promised official report to the House.
§ Mr. William WhitelawI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 21 July to a supplementary question from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Sparkbrook (Mr. Hattersley), which applies generally to the prior, speculative reporting of the report.—[Vol. 28, c. 399–400].
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§ Mr. Greenwayasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on security at Buckingham Palace on 21 July, following the entry into the precincts of a minicab containing cartridges.
§ Mr. WhitelawI understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the driver of a vehicle which had taken a guest to an investiture ceremony at the Palace on 21 July explained to representatives of the press that he had a number of shotgun cartridges in the boot of his car. It would not serve the interests of security to give in detail the security measures that were in operation on 21 July. They included a check on everyone attending the ceremony, including the passenger of the vehicle, on entry to the Palace building. There were checks of vehicles by "sniffer" dogs trained to detect materials used in the manufacture of explosive devices. The drivers of vehicles parked within the Palace precincts were required to remain with their vehicles, under police supervision.