§ Mr. BurdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the strength of evidence that heroin was planted on Karen Smith and Patricia Cahill; and if he has had an exchange of correspondence with the Prime Minister of Thailand on the cases.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe have seen no convincing evidence that the heroin was planted on the girls. Unsupported allegations of planted evidence, corruption and miscarriage of justice are irresponsible in themselves and damaging to the prospects for the girls' release.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister wrote in February 1993 to his Thai counterpart to support the girls' royal pardon petitions. In his reply, the Thai Prime Minister acknowledged our support for the petition and gave assurances that the Thai Government are doing their best for the girls' well-being.
§ Mr. BurdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government are taking on the European Parliament's resolution of October 1991 calling for a re-examination of the case of Karen Smith.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe do not support the resolution. We have no reason to believe that either Karen Smith or Patricia Cahill had an unfair trial or were unjustly convicted. Both girls have been well treated in prison. Their sentences are long but by no means harsh compared with those given to others convicted of similar offences in Thailand. We want to help Karen Smith and Patricia Cahill take advantage of every opportunity that Thai law allows them to try to bring about their early release, and to this end we shall continue to do all we can for them.