§ Mr. Chris SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British people imprisoned in Thailand have submitted requests for King's pardons over the last three years; how many such requests he has supported; and if he will in future make it his policy to support all such applications on behalf of prisoners who are HIV positive.
§ Mr. EggarOver the period from 1985 to date, four British prisoners have applied for King's pardons. Two have been successful, and two have petitions in progress. All are diagnosed HIV positive.
It is not our policy to support applications for royal pardons where the due process of law has been observed. (We do, however, undertake to deliver their applications.) Exceptions to that policy are made on humanitarian grounds and in cases where the death penalty has been imposed. Should a prisoner who is already diagnosed HIV positive develop symptoms of AIDS and a reduction of life expectancy becomes manifest, a case would clearly exist also on humanitarian grounds for seeking the prisoner's early release. In this, policy is no different than had the reduction in life expectancy resulted from some other disease, or had other overriding humanitarian considerations arisen.
§ Mr. Chris SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people from the United Kingdom are currently imprisoned in Thailand; how many are held in chains; how many have been so held during the last three years; and what representations he has made to the Thai Government that this practice should cease.
§ Mr. EggarCurrently, there are 13 British nationals imprisoned in Thailand. None is held permanently in chains. The wearing of chains is ordered on initial detention, for court appearances and transfers between prisons. They are also imposed for specific periods as punishment for bad behaviour. When British prisoners were held in chains for no apparent reason, consular representations were made to the Thai authorities and the chains were removed. The chains themselves are lightweight aluminium shackles fastened around the legs.
108WNo representations have been made to the Thai Government on the general question, as the system is applied equally to all prisoners whatever their nationality. We have no grounds to seek treatment better than that afforded to Thai nationals.
§ Mr. Chris SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how often he expects consular staff to visit British people held in prisons abroad; and what has been the frequency of such visits to British prisoners in Thailand during the last year.
§ Mr. EggarConsular staff aim at quarterly visits to British nationals imprisoned in non-European countries. In European countries, where there are only a few prisoners serving long sentences, the aim is to visit every six months and in any event at least once a year.
In Thailand, consular staff try to visit prisoners every four to six weeks, but staff shortages and an expanding work load because of the increasing number of British tourists to that country have combined to extend the period between visits. More staff have recently been dedicated to prison visiting, and the embassy expects the period between visits will soon be on or near its aim.
From November 1987 to September 1988, five consular visits were made to prisoners in Bangkok. Prisons in other parts of Thailand have been visited three times in the same period.