§ 33. Mr. Mike O'BrienTo ask the Attorney-General when he expects to receive a report on the outcome of the inquiry on Matrix Churchill.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe time scale required to complete the Matrix Churchill inquiry is a matter for Lord Justice Scott. He has made it clear that he wishes to report to the President of the Board of Trade as soon as possible.
§ Mr. O'BrienIs it not the case that Lord Justice Scott is currently still reading the papers and has not even spoken to witnesses yet? On that basis, are we not unlikely to have a report before the autumn? When the matter was first raised, the Prime Minister assured the House that he would not allow the inquiry to prevent parliamentary questions from being answered, but are not Ministers in fact refusing to answer legitimate questions to which the British public have a right to answers? If British Ministers have acted improperly, they should not continue in office until the report is completed.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThere are three questions there. I repeat the assurance that Government Departments will give full assistance to Lord Justice Scott. He has already 678 received about 30,000 documents. Obviously, they take a good deal of time to read and to assimilate. He then proposes to hear the evidence. I understand from a press release that he proposes to hear the evidence largely in public. It will then be for him to consider his conclusions.