§ 47. Mr. SkinnerTo ask the Attorney-General when he last met the Director of Public Prosecutions; and what matters were discussed.
§ The Attorney-GeneralI last met the Director of Public Prosecutions on 5 April, when we discussed matters of departmental interest. My right hon. and learned Friend the Solicitor-General met the Director on 25 April, in my absence abroad on departmental business.
§ Mr. SkinnerNext time, why does not the Attorney-General have a word with the Director of Public Prosecutions about Harrods? Why do not they examine that matter in detail? Is not the truth of the matter that there are people connected with Harrods, such as the Sultan of Brunei, who are very close to No. 10 and to the present Government generally? That is why they are getting away with it. Is not it the case that the Sultan of Brunei—whose surrogates, the Al Fayed brothers, run Harrods—is the same man who handed over £5 billion when the pound was in trouble against the dollar in 1986, and when the Prime Minister asked him to bail out the Government? Is not that at the bottom of it all?
§ The Attorney-GeneralI shall next see the Director of Public Prosecutions at half past four, but I shall not be raising any of those matters. The House, and possibly even the hon. Gentleman, may recall that publication of the report of the DTI inspectors into the Harrods affair was delayed for about 18 months. I dare say that, at the time, the hon. Gentleman was one of those who said that it was a cover-up, but in fact it was so that there should be no possible prejudice of any future prosecution by reason of the report's premature publication. It is a measure of the seriousness with which the two DTI inspectors viewed the possible criminality and the possibility of bringing proceedings in a criminal court that the report's publication was delayed for as long as it was.