With your permission Sir, I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 6 together.
The Government's concern about the situation in Belfast during the past few days has been conveyed to the British authorities. I have frequently condemned violence in the North from any source and I do so unreservedly again. There is no excuse or justification whatever for the kind of thing that happened in Belfast last night and resulted in the death of a soldier and injury to a number of other people including children. The same goes for all the other bombing outrages by whomever inspired or executed.
In such circumstances it is too easy to lapse into despair or recrimination. We must avoid both.
In this respect we must continue the fresh approach recently initiated in the matter of North/South economic development and commercial relations. The process of removing the legitimate grievances of the minority and redressing the injustices of many decades has begun. This also must continue and, as I have said before, most recently on the appointment of Mr. Faulkner as Prime Minister, anything the Government can do to help in normalising the Northern society will be done willingly.
It is in the light of all this that I have publicly expressed the considered view of the Government that great care should be taken in dealing with the protests of the minority so as to avoid any possibility of the British Army being used, or being seen to be used, to repress legitimate protests with the concurrent risk of excessive reaction.
We have expressed these views in detail to the British authorities.