§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the reasons for the delay in responding to the asylum applications by Sheikh Ali Salman, Hamza Ali Jasim Kadhem and Sayed Haider Hasan Ali; whether it is the case that the Bahrain Foreign Minister, Sheikh Muhammad Al-Khalifa, warned the then Foreign Secretary, the right honourable Douglas Hurd MP, at a meeting on 27th January 1994 that, if the asylum applications of these three men were accepted, relations between the United Kingdom and Bahrain would be damaged; and if so, what response was made to this remark.
§ Baroness BlatchThe applications are being considered in accordance with domestic and international law. I have nothing to add about exchanges with the Bahraini Government to the Answer given by the noble Baroness Lady Chalker of Wallasey on 7th February (col.WA 9).