§ Sir John WheelerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Her Majesty's Government expect to ratify the European convention on extradition; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaddingtonThe Government hope to make the necessary Order in Council shortly before the summer recess, with a view to ratification of the convention as soon as possible thereafter. The convention provides for 90 days to elapse between ratification and the provisions coming into effect.
§ Mr. GaleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many persons were extradited to the United Kingdom from each country of the European Community in each of the last five years; and what were their nationalities;
(2) how many persons were extradited from the United Kingdom to each of the other countries of the European Community in each of the last five years; and what were their nationalities.
§ Mr. WaddingtonThe tables give the number of persons extradited to and from the United Kingdom in respect of the other countries of the European Community. The United Kingdom does not distinguish between extradition requests in respect of its own nationals and nationals of other countries. For this reason, the nationalities of those whose return is sought is not centrally recorded.
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1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 Extradition to an EC country from the United Kingdom Belgium 1 — 126 — 1 Denmark 1 — — — — France 1 4 — — — Federal Republic of Germany 5 7 2 3 5 Greece — — — 1 — Republic of Ireland3 15 9 13 17 2— Italy 3 4 1 — 1 Luxembourg — — — — — Netherlands 1 3 1 1 2 Portugal — — — — — Spain — — — — — 12 18 130 5 9 Extradition from an EC country to the United Kingdom Belgium 1 2 — — — Denmark — — — — — France — 1 1 3 2 Federal Republic of Germany 2 1 — — — Greece — — — — — Republic of Ireland3 17 2 3 6 2— Italy — — — — — Luxembourg — — — — — Netherlands 1 — 5 — — Portugal — — 1 — — Spain — — 1 4 2 Total 4 4 8 7 4 1 Includes 25 Heysel stadium football supporters. 2 Not yet available. 3 The return of fugitives to and from the Republic of Ireland takes place under reciprocal backing of warrants legislation, rather than under an extradition treaty.
§ Mr. GaleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which European Community countries do not permit the extradition of their own nationals.
§ Mr. WaddingtonI refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State to a question from the hon. Member for Gower (Mr. Wardell) on 18 April 1990 at columns910–11. The limitations on the ability of particular Community countries to extradite their own nationals, described in that reply, apply irrespective of the nature of the offence.
In the third paragraph of the earlier reply, mention is made of an amendment to Dutch domestic law that took place in "1981". This should have read "1988".