CAB128-94_A1b — Page 127

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undertaking routine, low grade security duties.

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Nevertheless he was reviewing the present contracts with these firms and would not hesitate to take immediate action to terminate contracts if deficiencies emerged. One worrying feature of the Deal incident had been the failure of members of the public to report to the police the presence of three Irishmen in a house close to the barracks. He was encouraging station commanders to urge the local community to be alert at all times to the cotential terrorist threat.

dustrial ction in the Ambulance ervice

revious

eference:

C(89) 28.2

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR HEALTH said that the action by ambulance drivers which had begun on 14 September had not so far been serious and had attracted little publicity. There were some localised problems, particularly at the weekends, ut in some areas services were almost unaffected situation could however deteriorate if, as expected, the ambulance officers rejected their 6.5% pay offer over the pet few days, and joined in the industrial action. It was cult to predict how the dispute would develop. He was optimistic of a quick settlement. Although the Management Side of the NHS Whitley Council continued to urge the emption of pay talks, and had improved their original fer, the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) conting press for arbitration and refused to negotiate fukt

One matter of direct concerns a specific threat by the Lancashire Ambulance Service to refuse ambulance cover for the Conservative Party Conference in Blackpool. He was considering with the Chancellor the Duchy of Lancaster what alternative arrangements show be made.

DE

nglo-Irish

nference

revious ference: C(89) 28.2

said that a

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR NORTHERN IRELA meeting of the Anglo-Irish Conference had enlace on 15 September. The meeting had been lengthy and the Irish Foreign Minister had expressed serious concern at a number of issues, centring on the Ulster Defence/sement (UDR) and recent alleged leaks of information abo Republican terrorists from the regiment to Protestant para military groups. The Irish representatives had not, however, asked for the disbandment of the regiment although there had subsequently been ambiguous statements from Dublin about this. In reply he had emphasised the commo interest of the two governments in improving confidence the security forces in Northern Ireland particularly within

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