§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has received about car passes allowing unauthorised persons to drive into Buckingham Palace being made available to unauthorised persons via unauthorised channels; if he is satisfied, as police authority, that the Metropolitan Police have now taken all the necessary precautions to prevent any further breach of the arrangements for the Royal Family's personal security; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WhitelawI have received a preliminary account from the police about the claim by journalists in theDaily Mirror of 3 November that they had made an unauthorised entry to the Royal Mews. It is already clear that there was no unauthorised entry into Buckingham Palace and that the personal safety of members of the Royal Family was not put in jeopardy. I understand that the Palace authorities have made inquiries and I expect to be informed of the outcome in due course.
Since 9 July many steps have been taken by the Metropolitan Police, by other police forces and by Royal Households in the interests of the safety of members of the Royal Family. These included the allocation temporarily of a number of additional officers to uniform duty at Buckingham Palace. Today the Metropolitan Police's Royalty Protection Department has been re-organised to include 138 more officers for uniform duties at Buckingham Palace, St. James's Palace, Kensington Palace and Windsor Castle. This is 81 per cent. more than the number of officers allocated to these duties in July.
31WThe new permanent group which I mentioned in my statement on 21 July has met seven times. It will be some time before all the work flowing from the initiatives I took in July can be completed and there will always be a need to review the arrangements from time to time but I am satisfied that the work is being carried forward with all possible speed.