§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to whether the Panamanian consulate in Tudor street, London EC4, was searched by police officers following the bomb threat made on 2 March; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if the Panamanian ambassador was consulted with regard to police officers searching the consulate premises following the bomb threat made on 2 March; and if he will make a statement;
(3) if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to the nature of the response given by the security guards on the premises of the Panamanian consulate following the bomb alert, to the advice that, in accordance with normal practice, the decision as to whether the consulate should be evacuated and searched, with police assistance, rested with them;
(4) if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to why people other than security guards already in the building were permitted by the police into the premises of the Panamanian consulate following the bomb threat communicated to New Scotland Yard at 11.2 pm on 2 March.
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§ Mr. Douglas Hogg[holding answer 17 March 1988]The Panamanian consulate was not searched by police officers following the bomb threat on 2 March because no request was made by the security guards on the premises for such action to be taken. The Panamanian ambassador was not consulted since it was for the security guards concerned to decide how to respond to police advice, and they subsequently elected to leave the consulate of their own volition. After the security guards had vacated the premises, a number of people who have been inside the consulate earlier that day peacefully re-entered the building using keys in their possession. The police officers who remained on duty outside the consulate had no reason on the information available to them to seek to deny entry.