HC Deb 30 October 1989 vol 159 cc39-40W
Mr. Mullin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Surrey listing the Surrey police officers who visited Birmingham during the pub bombings investigation;

(2) what liaison took place between officers of the Surrey and West Midlands police forces during the Guildford and Birmingham pub bombings investigations.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

A full list of all Surrey police officers who visited Birmingham in the period referred to cannot be provided. Criminal and other records not part of a major inquiry are destroyed by the Surrey police after at most five years, and by the West Midlands police after seven years. Details of precise liaison between the two forces at that date are similarly unavailable, although there is no reason to think that normal liaison arrangements were not in force.

However, I understand that a team of nine Surrey officers was working in the west midlands area at the time of the Birmingham pub bombings investigation. As the hon. Member knows, the actions of the Surrey officers who investigated the Guildford bombings are the subject of inquiries by the Avon and Somerset police. It would be inappropriate for me to identify the individual officers.

Mr. Mullin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for reports from(a) the chief constable of Surrey and (b) the chief constable of the West Midlands as to whether Surrey police officers visited Queen's Road police station in Birmingham between 22 to 25 November 1974.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

I understand that according to the records of the investigation conducted on behalf of the West Midlands police by the Devon and Cornwall constabulary, no Surrey police officers visited Queen's Road police station on the dates in question.

Mr. Mullin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to establish the whereabouts of the non-material evidence in the Birmingham pub bombings case; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

None. I understand that the Devon and Cornwall police attempted to find these documents at the time of their investigation in 1987 and were unable to do so. As far as they could establish, the documents had been destroyed.

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what actions he has taken to provide compensation to Carol Richardson, Gerard Conlon, Patrick Armstrong and Paul Hill for their wrongful imprisonment; and if he will make an interim payment.

Mr. John Patten

The solicitors representing the four persons have been informed that interim payments will be made. The amount has been assessed by the independent assessor appointed under the provisions of section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. We have also invited them to supply any information they would wish the assessor to take into account in assessing the total amount of compensation that should be paid.

Mr. Winnick

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has had the views of Lord Denning on the convictions of those found guilty of the Birmingham pub bombings brought to his attention; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Waddington

We have considered a number of views, from Lord Denning and others, on the convictions of those found guilty of the Birmingham pub bombings. My right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr. Hurd) referred this case to the Court of Appeal on 20 January 1987 and after a thorough investigation by the Devon and Cornwall police the court heard the case in November and December 1987. In its judgment, announced in January 1988, the Court concluded that it had no doubt that the convictions were safe and satisfactory.

I am always ready to consider new evidence or other information which has not been before the courts and which appears to cast doubt on the safety of the conviction.