HC Deb 20 March 1986 vol 94 cc402-3
7. Mr. Ashdown

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department at how many institutions in the United Kingdom there are personnel presently covered by the terms of the Visiting Forces Act.

Mr. Mellor

I understand that most of the personnel covered by the Act are members of United States forces stationed at eight main operational bases.

Mr. Ashdown

I am grateful to the Minister for that answer. Why does the Home Office not collect information on the number of occasions on which the jurisdiction of British courts is dodged because visiting forces claim primary jurisdiction under the Visiting Forces Act 1952? Is the hon. Gentleman aware that foreign Governments collect such information? Is he further aware that the United States Government released the information that 420 members of the United States air force had infringed British law in relation to drug abuse and that 388 of them had been removed from the jurisdiction of the British courts? We have to rely on foreign Governments for information because the Home Office will not collect it.

Mr. Mellor

It has never seemed appropriate for us to collect information about an Act which has been on the statute book for more than 30 years and which, except for the hon. Gentleman's lonely crusade, has been generally accepted by most hon. Members as being good sense. The hon. Gentleman has given an extremely tendentious account of the arrangements. The arrangements cover who should have primary jurisdiction to deal with offences. If an offence is committed on a base and the only people involved are other service men, those forces deal with the offence in accordance with the rules of good order and discipline. If we object to the way in which they deal with the matter, we have a right under those arrangements to apply to have that jurisdiction waived. This is a way of determining who should deal with the issues. It is not a way by which the jurisdiction is "dodged", to use the hon. Gentleman's inapt expression.

Mr. Baldry

Is it not disappointing that certain hon. Gentlemen should use the Visiting Forces Act as a snide way of attacking our American allies? As one who has a United States air force base in his constituency, I remind my hon. Friend that most people believe that those service men are very good neighbours. We are grateful for the protection and assistance that they give our people.

Mr. Mellor

I quite agree with that.