§ Mr. Whitakerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the committee of investigation is not allowed to visit the interrogation centre at Aden, as Mr. Bowen, Q.C., recommended.
§ Mr. George ThomsonThe reasons are given under (x) on page 23 of the White Paper on the Report by Mr. Bowen on Detention Procedures in Aden (Cmnd. 3165).
§ Mr. Whitakerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will take steps so that a Red Cross representative is permanently allowed to be present at any security and police interrogations at Aden.
§ Mr. George ThomsonNo. I am confident that the procedural changes made as a result of the recommendations of the Bowen Report lay down reasonable safeguards for carrying out the processes of interrogation. I have no reason to believe that the suggestion made by my hon. Friend would be acceptable to the Red Cross.
§ Mr. Whitakerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what are the names of all people at present imprisoned without trial in Aden; and what are the reasons in each case.
§ Mr. George ThomsonIt would not be in the public interest to give a consolidated list of the names of the 103 persons at present held in detention in Aden but each detainee's relatives are informed of his arrest. The reason for detention in each case is one or more of those listed in section (1) of Regulation 4 of the Aden Emergency Regulations, 1965, which have been placed in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. Whitakerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why arrangements were not made for Mr. Bowen, Q.C. to interview Brigadier A. W. Cowper, the Director of Security at the time of the irregularities
§ Mr. George ThomsonMr. Bowen's terms of reference, which were given the House on 7th November, concerned procedures. On these Brigadier Cowper's successor was available to answer Mr. Bowen's inquiries.—[Vol. 735, c. 958.]
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§ Mr. Whitakerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether steps are now being taken to investigate the allegations in the Rastgeldi Report.
§ Mr. George ThomsonWith regard to the allegations in the Memorandum from the Civil Service Association of South Arabia, which formed Appendix II to the Rastgeldi Report, I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Billericay (Mr. Moonman) on 12th December, 1966.
The other allegations have been investigated and no evidence found to substantiate allegations of ill-treatment.—[Vol. 738, c. 13.]
§ Mr. Whitakerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps are being taken as a result of the post-Rast-geldi allegations of irregularities which have been given him.
§ Mr. George ThomsonThey either have been investigated or are under investigation. In all cases where investigations have been completed the allegations have been proved untrue.