§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they will reply to the letter from the President of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture dated 29th March 1998 which transmitted the committee's report on its visit to the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man from 8th to 17th September 1997, and asked the Government to provide a report within six months on action taken to deal with the matters raised.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bassam of Brighton)My Lords, the Government responded formally to the letter referred to on 16th October 1998. The report was published on 13th January 2000, and the Government hope to respond to it by Easter. When the report is published, the noble Lord will see that the Governments of the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man are facing the committee's recommendations squarely, and have already implemented a substantial number of them.
§ Lord AveburyMy Lords, will the Minister confirm that it has been more than two years since the Committee for the Prevention of Torture asked the Government to report on the measures to be taken by them in pursuance of the recommendations made by the committee following its visit in November 1997? Given that the Government have had two years to consider those recommendations, why has it taken them at least a further three months since the delayed publication of the report in January to make a substantive response to the recommendations?
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonMy Lords, this is a complicated issue with complex subsidiary issues that need to be considered. In our discussions with the committee, we have endeavoured to ensure that it reports appropriately, with due regard given to the applicable rules of professional ethics. We have taken some time since the publication of the final report and, as I have said, we intend to make our response at some point around Easter. We have taken that time because we needed to consult with others over our response. I am sure that the noble Lord will appreciate that it is better to make a fuller response than one which perhaps might not be up to the job.
§ Lord Archer of SandwellMy Lords, does my noble friend recollect that the report dealt principally with 902 two subjects: remedies for complaints against the police and overcrowding in prisons? Both of those subjects have been fully discussed over a long period both in your Lordships' House and elsewhere. Is the response of the Government a closely guarded secret? If so, why is that? If it is not, perhaps we could be given an indication of what the response is to be.
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonMy Lords, I believe that it would be entirely inappropriate for me to comment on our response this afternoon. It will be published, quite properly, in due course. Thenceforward, noble Lords will be able draw their own conclusions on it. However, we should observe the proper process here; indeed, we have done so. We have complied with the wishes of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture in that regard. I am sure that Members of your Lordships' House will be extremely interested in the content and fullness of the Government's response.
§ Lord AveburyMy Lords, I am a little mystified by the Minister's answers. He has stated that he had to consult with others, but he has not denied that the committee's recommendations have been in the Government's hands since March 1998. Since that is the case, why have they not been consulting on the recommendations in advance of the publication of the report? Why did they need to wait until January before they began those consultations? Furthermore, even if consultations only commenced in January, as the noble Lord, Lord Archer of Sandwell, has already pointed out, since the matters dealt with in the report recur frequently—for example, in reports of the Chief Inspector of Prisons—why has it taken a further three months?
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonMy Lords, it was necessary for the Government to consult with the Metropolitan Police, the Prison Service, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and all those with policy interests in the subject of the report. Those consultations have taken some time. As regards matters discussed between the committee and the Home Office, they were important points relating to legal confidential privilege. Those issues took some time to resolve; I fully accept that. I can tell the noble Lord that the points were properly resolved and the final report was made in January. As I have said, we intend to make our response during the Easter period.