Mr. Dennis Skinner (Hansard, 18 May 1984)

§ Lord Harris of Greenwich
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, we have called for the transcripts of the inquest which we shall be studying.

§ Lord Harris of Greenwich
My Lords, when the noble Baroness's department are considering these matters, which have been widely publicised in the press in the past few days, will they then consider making any representations to the Soviet authorities about this whole matter, particularly in the light of the decision of the jury? Secondly, may I ask her whether her department will, in particular, consider the allegations made at the inquest that the embassy in Moscow did not take with sufficient seriousness the suggestions made that Mr. Skinner was under severe pressure from the KGB? Lastly, may I ask her whether she will ensure, in so far as we can, that the Russian Government is made absolutely aware of the fact that, if anything is done to harm Mrs. Skinner in this country in the way that Mr. Markov's life was extinguished by the Bulgarians not so long ago, this will in itself do great damage to relations between this country and the Soviet Union?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, in response to the first part of the noble Lord's supplementary question, I 1608 should like to say that the matter is under consideration. In response to the second part as to whether the embassy did enough to help Mr. Skinner, I can confirm that I am confident that the embassy did everything in their power to help Mr. Skinner. They had thorough discussions with him, they provided him with safe accommodation and repeatedly urged him to stay with embassy staff until his departure. On the question of Mrs. Skinner, the police have been informed of what the coroner said about this and are taking appropriate action.

§ Lord Grimond
My Lords, can the noble Baroness tell us what the law is in regard to inquests held on British citizens killed abroad? Who decides that they shall be held, and who decided in this case? Further, in view of her last answer, are we to take it that there are to be no further inquiries as to the allegations that the embassy did not take sufficient notice of the danger in which Mr. Skinner apparently alleged he stood?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, on the second part of the question of the noble Lord, Lord Grimond, I can only refer to what I have already said. We are confident that the embassy did everything in their power to help Mr. Skinner. In fact, an embassy official could not—and indeed would not—keep him in the embassy against his will. On the first part of the noble Lord's supplementary question, I understand that, as it has been in this case and in other cases, it is possible to hold an inquest in this country following a death abroad.

§ Lord Mishcon
My Lords, in view of the anxieties that have been expressed in several quarters of the House about our Embassy in Moscow and the care that was taken, can the noble Baroness assure the House that a very full and detailed report has been received as to all these matters, including the opportunities that the embassy had?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I have indicated already that we believe that the Embassy in Moscow did everything that they could to help Mr. Skinner. He was offered safe accommodation and was repeatedly urged to stay with embassy staff until his departure.

§ Lord Elwyn-Jones
My Lords, will a further Statement be made on this most unhappy matter after the examination of the evidence and the transcripts of what went on in the Coroner's Court has been completed?Will this not be desirable from the public's point of view and from the Foreign Office's point of view?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, that would be a question that would have to be determined in the light of developments.

§ Lord Harris of Greenwich
My Lords, may I follow up the supplementary question of the noble and learned Lord? He asked whether there would be a Statement after the Foreign Office had considered these matters in detail. Is that not a reasonable request? Can we not receive an assurance from the noble Baroness that a Statement will be made when that review has been completed?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, if there is a request for a Statement in his House or any matter governing parliamentary business, this is always a matter for the usual channels.

§ Lord Jenkins of Putney
My Lords, would not the noble Baroness consider whether it might be possible to set Mrs. Skinner's mind at rest to some degree by pointing out that there has never been any previous case in which the Soviet Union has harmed any individual or attempted the assassination of any individual in this country? Certain other countries have indeed done that, but the Soviet Union, in all the years of our relationship, have never done anything of the sort.

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I note what the noble Lord, Lord Jenkins, has said; but I think that I have said enough on the subject of Mrs. Skinner to make quite clear what is the Government attitude on this matter.

§ Lord Auckland
My Lords, as Mr. Skinner represented one of our major banks while in Moscow, and since presumably a successor will be appointed, will my noble friend the Minister give an assurance that extra precautions will be given to his successor and also to the many other British representatives of major firms in Moscow in view of this very disturbing incident?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, successive British Governments have published security advice about visits to communist countries, most recently our predecessors, in 1977. We see no reason to alter the advice that has been given.

§ Lord Grimond
My Lords, the noble Baroness has said that it was possible to hold inquests on British citizens killed abroad. Can she tell us who decides to hold an inquest, and who so decided in this case?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I think that this is a matter on which I should write to the noble Lord, Lord Grimond. It is a legal point and I should not like to go into it on this occasion without taking further advice.

§ Lord Wigoder
Would the noble Baroness reconsider her observation that whether the Government makes a Statement is a matter for the usual channels, my Lords?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I was not aware that I had made that statement. I said that if there was a request that there should be some business in the House, this is usually a matter for the usual channels; but of course, as I indicated originally, the Government would consider these points.

§ Lord Harmar-Nicholls
My Lords, is my noble friend aware, as I should have thought, that in a case as sensitive as this, it ought to be sorted out through the usual channels? I do not believe that the matter ought to be left open for any kind of ill-thought-out or mischievous intervention in something which may be, as I say, so sensitive and important. This is a matter where the usual channels, with their 1610 special responsibilities—most of them are Privy Counsellors—ought to make this decision in view of what would flow from it.

§ Lord Elwyn-Jones
My Lords, surely this is a matter for the Government's judgment. There has been this request from the House expressed very strongly. Surely it is not a matter to be negotiated through the usual channels. If the Government think it a suitable occasion to allay the public concern then the Government surely have a duty to make a Statement.

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I am very sorry that the noble and learned Lord should be so very concerned about what I have said. I made it quite plain that, if we consider it to be appropriate, we will make a Statement. At present, we have asked for a full copy of the transcripts which we shall consider. I am sure that the noble and learned Lord would recognise that it would be very unwise in the present situation to make a commitment in advance of finding out what has been said. We would use our judgment, of course, as to whether we thought this to be appropriate. If the noble and learned Lord puts down a Question or asks for a Statement, that is his prerogative, and these matters would always be determined in the way they normally are in the business of the House.

§ Lord Kilmarnock
My Lords, is it not the case that the Government do not have to accede to a PNQ; so that, in the long run, we have no guarantee of a Statement on this matter?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I simply do not understand what lies behind a supplementary' question like that. I have been very careful in what I have said to the House because we are in a situation in which we are still considering a matter. When we have considered it, if it is appropriate, we will make a Statement. But when we have not considered it, I think that it is unwise to make promises in a situation like this.

§ Lord Broxbourne
My Lords, reverting to the supplementary question as to the principles governing whether an inquest is held on a British citizen who dies abroad, having regard to the fact that this is a permissive and not mandatory procedure, would my noble friend (in addition to writing to the noble Lord, Lord Grimond, as she has very properly undertaken to do) disseminate this information in some more public way as it is clearly a matter of some general interest?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I am very glad to give the assurance to my noble friend, Lord Broxbourne, that I will find a suitable way of publicising this matter.