§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what record his Department has of representations since 1960 regretting the absence of legal powers requiring the United Kingdom authorities to prosecute persons resident in British-controlled territories for offences now to be covered by the War Crimes Bill; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenThe Home Office received occasional correspondence on this subject prior to 1986. But the report of the war crimes inquiry makes clear that until 1986, when the Simon Wiesenthal Centre submitted a list of alleged war criminals said to be living in Britain, the prevalent view was that no war criminals were resident here. Since then, the Home Office has received a large volume of correspondence on this issue, arguing both for and against the proposition that courts in the United Kingdom should be given jurisdiction over war crimes.