§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report the number of British citizens now held in custody pending trial in countries which are members of the Council of Europe at the latest available date; what is the longest time for which any individual has been so held; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonThe longest time any individual currently in detention pending trial has been so held is 16 months: the charge is murder and neither the individual nor his legal representative is pressing for a trial date to be finalised. All cases of detention of which we are notified are monitored by our posts overseas. In accordance with generally accepted international practice, we cannot intervene in the due process of law in another sovereign country any more than we would accept intervention in our own judicial process. The latest available figures are as follows:
British Citizens in detention and awaiting trial in Council of Europe countries Number France 45 Federal Republic of Germany 78 Netherlands 13 Belgium 15 Luxembourg 0 Denmark 11 Greece 45 Italy 7 Spain 94 Portugal 6 Malta 3 Cyprus 3 Norway 12 Sweden 14 Switzerland 19 Turkey 0 Austria 5 Iceland 0 Ireland Not known Liechtenstein 0 Total 370