HC Deb 09 December 1991 vol 200 cc603-4
31. Mr. Peter Bottomley

To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to bring prosecutions under the War Crimes Act 1991.

The Attorney-General

The Metropolitan police are conducting a major investigation into alleged war crimes. It is too soon to say when a decision whether to prosecute will be taken.

Mr. Bottomley

Does my right hon. and learned Friend accept that the House is united in abhorring war crimes—and no doubt there were many—but that the House will want to consider early-day motion 275 which draws attention to some articles in the Evening Standard and elsewhere which remind us that mistakes have been made? We hope that we do not make any here.

The Attorney-General

I am aware of the article to which my hon. Friend refers, which involves a case that was tried in Israel, and of the fact that, apparently, KGB records recently made available in Moscow suggest that there was mistaken identification. That is one of the matters that feature in any such consideration, and would always feature with a court.

Mr. Janner

Will the Attorney-General confirm that in many of the war crimes cases now under investigation in this country the issue of identity does not arise? How many cases are being investigated? Bearing in mind the urgency of the matter now, after so many years, when does he believe that action will be taken?

The Attorney-General

Naturally, each of the cases referred to in the report by Sir Thomas Hetherington and Mr. Chalmers has been and is being investigated. I cannot give a reliable date as to when the Metropolitan police report in the case of the first matters will be available, but I have no reason to suppose that it is not being prosecuted with all celerity by the dedicated team that the Commissioner has made available.

Sir John Stokes

My right hon. and learned Friend knows how highly I regard his judgment, but is he still satisfied that it is wise to go ahead with the charges after all the mistakes have been made, and after such a long time has passed? Will not the whole matter cause nothing but trouble and tears to him, his Department and the Government?

The Attorney-General

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for the kind remarks at the beginning of his question. I have to be loyal to the decision of Parliament, which passed the War Crimes Act 1991. All those involved in the prosecuting process will approach their task in a fair arid proper way, as the House would expect.