§ Rev. Ian Paisleyasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, in the light of the new evidence, if he will refer the case of Mr. Joseph Rainey, a prisoner who has served sentence in the Crumlin Road Prison, back to the Appeal Court; why Mr. Alexander Hamilton was not charged along with two other men who were seen carrying out an assault on the man whom Mr. Rainey has been sen- 274W tenced for killing; why Mr. Hamilton was made the main police witness in the case against Mr. Rainey; why he was permitted to leave the jurisdiction when a warrant was out for his arrest on another charge; what was the nature of this warrant; when it was first issued; and how long it was until it was executed.
§ Mr. ConcannonThe representations which have been made on Mr. Rainey's behalf have been carefully considered, but no grounds have ben found on which my right hon. Friend would be justified in exercising his power to refer the case to the Court of Criminal Appeal, or in intervening in any other way. If the hon. Member has any new evidence which has not previously been examined, and will forward it to me or my right hon. Friend, we shall be glad to look at the case again.
As far as the other matters raised in the Question are concerned, my right hon. Friend has no responsibility for the prosecution process.