§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were extradited from Great Britain and Northern Ireland, respectively, to the Republic of Ireland in each of the years 1969 to 1978, inclusive; and on what charges.
§ Mr. BrittanThe following table gives all the information that is currently available for England and Wales. Extradition from Scotland and Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
the case of Abdul Azad, there is such long delay in resolving the question of his right to stay in the United Kingdom, in the light of the fact that it has been 10 months since he was first detained as an alleged illegal immigrant.
§ Mr. RaisonRepeated representations have been made on Abdul Azad's behalf against his removal as an illegal entrant. I have now reviewed the case in the light of the most recent representations, and have written to let the hon. Member know my decision.
§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what grounds he excludes the plea of Abdul Azad from the category of compassionate 391W cases, in view of the fact that he was arrested soon after the murder of his mother and at a time when his aged father and baby brother needed his moral and financial support.
§ Mr. RaisonI have been carefully considering the hon. Member's representations in this case and have written to him with my decision that on compassionate grounds Abdul Azad should be given indefinite leave to remain.
§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) following the murder in Oldham of the mother of Abdul Azad, why he has not responded to demands made in the petition, signed by many public figures nationally and locally, for an open inquiry into, firstly, the way in which the murder investigation was conducted, causing considerable harassment to the local Bengali community and allegations that some persons were beaten up by the police, and, secondly, into the treatment meted out to Abdul Azad as an alleged illegal immigrant;
(2) if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Manchester on the reasons why Abdul Azad, after it was first alleged that he might be an illegal immigrant, was denied the right in detention to see his father and brother for six days; why the police did not tell him what his legal rights were and refused to allow him to see a solicitor for nine days; why he was kept for 24 hours in police detention without food or drink; why he was held for eight days in a police station without being transferred to Risley remand centre; and why after his mother was murdered on 4 October he was taken to Oldham police station, forced to sign statements he did not understand, and was allegedly subjected to physical violence and threats of being killed.
§ Mr. WhitelawI understand that the allegations against officers of the Greater Manchester police are already being investigated, under section 49 of the Police Act 1964, by a senior officer from another force. The report of the investigation will, unless it is clear that no criminal offence has been committed, be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the possible need for disciplinary action will be subject to the independent consideration of the Police Complaints Board.