Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I say that to the Government, not the Leader who behaved impeccably in this matter.

There was an appalling atrocity in Riyadh yesterday. All democratic Governments must do two things. We must deal with the problem of terrorism but we must also ensure the response to it is not so ham-fisted, clumsy and disproportionate that it encourages further terrorism. That is the reason I want the matter discussed here. Many of us are beginning to realise that the consequence of each military attempt to suppress terrorism, whether in this country or worldwide, is to generate further terrorism. Some of the issues which fester in the world and on this island are not justifications for terrorism. However, if we want to deal with the type of popular feeling which encourages terrorism, we must deal with injustice in the world. I would like to have a debate in the House on what is driving people to the type of extreme activity we saw yesterday, which is reprehensible and wrong. Putting civilians at risk, whether deliberately or as collateral damage, is immoral and wrong. I would like to discuss the issue.