§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Defence what authority is required by United States service personnel to carry weapons in the United Kingdom; what authority has been given to United States personnel to carry weapons on streets in central London; what representations he has received about this matter; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Skinner asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement regarding the presence of armed United States marines from the United States Embassy on the streets of London on the morning of 24 April.
§ Mr. Stanley[pursuant to his reply, 29 April 1986, c. 375]: It is not a contravention of United Kingdom law for United States service men to carry arms in the United Kingdom, if they do so on duty authorised by their superiors. This arises by virtue of an extension of the provision in the firearms legislation exempting United Kingdom service men from its provisions, which has been applied to visiting forces by means of an order made in 1965 under section 8 of the Visiting Forces Act 1952. The authorisation for the United States service men will be a matter for their service superiors. Article VII paragraph 10 of the NATO status of forces agreement imposes certain restrictions on those areas where they can carry arms. I understand from the United States authorities that no armed United States service men were deployed from their normal posts in the vicinity of the Oxford street bombing on 24 April.
I have also replied to a question on this matter from the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) on 28 April at column 333.