§ Mr. Whiteheadasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will enumerate the Home Office papers relating to the case of Mr. James Hanratty which have been made available to Mr. Lewis Hawser, QC, but not to representatives of the Hanratty family, and his reasons for so doing.
§ Mr. Roy Jenkins:Mr. Hawser was furnished with copies of all the significant material available to the Home Office in the case. This included the transcript of the trial proceedings, the depositions, reports on investigations by the police, statements of witnesses made to the police or to others and the various representations made to successive Home Secretaries.
I have made it clear that this was not intended to be in any sense a formal inquiry involving adversary procedures and the question of disclosure of documents to interested parties did not arise. The purpose of the review is to obtain an independent assessment of the relevant material and it has been for Mr. Hawser to form his own view of the material before him.