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Mr. Richard Spring (Bury St. Edmunds): Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that, whatever the current difficulties of the peace process, it was overwhelmingly set back by the terrible bomb explosion at South Quay several months ago? Does he agree that the quickest way to restore calm and the prospect of long-term stability in Northern Ireland would be a declaration of an immediate cessation of violence by the IRA and a ceasefire?
Sir Patrick Mayhew: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising the issue that is at the heart of the danger to peace--the IRA's abandonment of its ceasefire. One of the tragedies of recent events is that that has been lost sight of.
There is only one way to secure peace in Northern Ireland, and it is by all concerned not only signing up to the Mitchell principles of non-violence and democracy but honouring them. Of course, before that can lead to an invitation to take part in the talks process, there has first and foremost to be an unequivocal restoration of the ceasefire by the IRA. Events such as those that my hon. Friend describes make it difficult to see how that can be regarded as unequivocal in the short term.
Mr. John D. Taylor (Strangford):
Can the Secretary of State confirm that the Army and the police were subjected to attacks by bricks and petrol bombs at Garvaghy road on Thursday 11 July? If that is right, does it not seem odd that that behaviour by the people of Garvaghy road was described last night on Radio Telefiis Eiireann in Dublin by the southern Irish Prime Minister as disciplined and carried out peacefully and with dignity?
Again for the purposes of the record, can the Secretary of State confirm that the RUC arrested at least 100 loyalists in the first four days of last week and cleared
dozens of roads, since Cardinal Daly went to church in Portadown last night and alleged that the RUC had not arrested any loyalists or cleared any roads? That is in the Irish News today.
As we look forward to the future, may I ask the Secretary of State, who has stressed the importance of accommodation and dialogue, whether he welcomes the decision by the Ulster Unionist party to be at the multi-party talks tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock at Stormont, expecting to see all other parties present?
Does the Secretary of State accept that underlying all these problems has been, first, the breach of the ceasefire by the IRA and, secondly, the role of the Anglo-Irish Agreement and the lack of trust that it is continually building up in Northern Ireland? Does he also accept that, regretfully, more and more people are being pushed to the position stated by Edmund Burke, who said:
It is also the case that many loyalists had been arrested previously by the RUC. I shall not comment on the merits of any of those cases, but the fact is that many loyalists had been arrested. I believe that that gives the lie to the charge that the RUC showed itself to be partisan and partial.
I, too, welcome the fact that the Ulster Unionist party will be present at the talks tomorrow. I do not want to add--I do not need to add--to what I have said about the paramount importance of that process, and of it being as inclusive as possible on proper and equal terms.
I have already mentioned the breach of the ceasefire. It is of central importance, and is totally unjustified in a democracy.
I do not think that I want to or need to add anything to what I have said about the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
Madam Speaker:
Thank you. We shall now move on.
Ms Glenda Jackson (Hampstead and Highgate):
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. On 24 June this year, I received a response to a question that I had asked of the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office with responsibility for the Overseas Development Administration, about whether Her Majesty's Government would pay closer attention to Madam Aung San Suu Kyi's consistent calls for no encouragement of western business interests in her country until the State Law and Order Restoration Council shows a real commitment to democracy.
The Minister assured me that Her Majesty's Government are in very close contact with Madam Aung San Suu Kyi, and that they pay close attention to what she says. However, there were reports in yesterday's newspapers--[Interruption.]
Madam Speaker:
Order. The hon. Lady must read her point of order. Reports in newspapers and exchanges across the Floor of the House are not my responsibility as Speaker. I deal with the House's procedures. What procedures may I deal with now?
Ms Jackson:
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am asking for your advice. The reply that I received--[Interruption.]
Madam Speaker:
Order. Is this a request for advice or a point of order? If the hon. Lady requires procedural advice, she may come to my office at any time or see the learned Clerks. I should now like to know what is the hon. Lady's point of order, and what she is asking me to deal with.
Ms Jackson:
Madam Speaker, the point of order is that a Minister of State, in response to a question from me, led the House to believe that the Government had a uniform policy on the calls made by Madam Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma. However, reports in yesterday's and today's newspapers underline the fact that the Department of Trade and Industry--[Interruption.]
Madam Speaker:
Order. That is not a point of order. If the hon. Lady has a matter to pursue with the Minister, she must pursue it properly across the Floor of the House at Question Time.
Rev. Martin Smyth (Belfast, South):
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I appreciate your difficulty in calling on all hon. Members after statements, but today the Ormeau road in my constituency was specifically mentioned, and I was not given an opportunity to deal with the issues. I crave your indulgence, and ask for an opportunity to put the record straight before the House rises for the summer recess.
Madam Speaker:
I understand the hon. Gentleman's point of order, and I have sympathy with him. I do my best to call all hon. Members who I think have a deep interest in a matter, and he certainly has such an interest in this matter. I am sure that he realises that, out of the
Mr. Hugh Dykes (Harrow, East):
On a point of order, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker:
Is this a similar point of order--that the hon. Gentleman was not called?
Mr. Dykes:
Madam Speaker, with your indulgence, is it in order to register my interest as a member of the British-Irish parliamentary body?
Madam Speaker:
I have a complete list of hon. Members who are members of the Select Committee, the British-Irish parliamentary body, the Conservative Back-Bench committee and the Opposition Back-Bench committee. If I called them all, we would never be able to get on with the House's business. Is anyone else disappointed?
Mr. Jerry Hayes (Harlow):
Yes, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker:
I have noted that; thank you. Now we can move on.
Mr. David Faber (Westbury):
On a point of order, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker:
Is it a genuine point of order?
Mr. Faber:
Madam Speaker, it is not only a new point of order, but it is the first point of order that I have raised in my four years in the House--so I hope that it will impress upon you the importance that I attach to the issue. Today, a conference on the subject of Europe is taking place in Trowbridge, in my constituency. Originally it was to be organised by West Wiltshire district council, but it seems to have been hijacked by the ruling Liberal
I do not ask you to rule on the hon. Gentleman's suitability as a chairman of the conference or to sympathise with my constituents on having to have foisted upon them his views on Europe, but is it not a common courtesy of the House--one which I know that you hold very dear--for hon. Members to inform other hon. Members when they visit their constituencies?
Madam Speaker:
That is absolutely correct. I am sorry that it has even been necessary for the hon. Gentleman to initiate a point of order on such an issue. He was right to do so, and I hope that the hon. Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Mr. Maclennan) will make note of it and offer an apology to him for appearing in his constituency without the courtesy of informing him.
"There is, however, a limit at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue"?
Sir Patrick Mayhew:
It is, of course, right that, when the RUC attempted to maintain order as, under its control, a limited march went down the Garvaghy road on the 11th, it came under fire, and bricks and petrol bombs were used. I think that it is right that some 2,000 petrol bombs had been manufactured and were fired. However, I speak from recollection, and would not wish to be held precisely to that. The point is that a very hostile reception of that character had been prepared.
4.35 pm
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