§ Mr. LivingstoneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in theOfficial Report the text of the letter from the Minister of State, the right hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Mr. Patten) to the hon. Member for Brent, East on 2 February about Mr. Colin Wallace.
§ Mr. John PattenThe text of my reply of 12 February 1990 to the hon. Member for Brent, East is as follows
I am writing in response to points you raised about the case of Mr. Colin Wallace, and the allegation that Mr. Wallace was wrongfully convicted.You will be aware that the Home Secretary carefully considered the material advanced to support that allegation and announced his decision in a written Answer to Mr. Michael Marshall MP on 30 January. In amplification of that Answer the Home Secretary placed a memorandum in the Library. I enclose for ease of reference a copy of the reply and memorandum.I would draw attention particularly to paragraph 2 of the memorandum. The points which you and Mr. Wallace raised are matters which were either considered at the trial or which could have been raised at the trial had Mr. Wallace and his advisers so wished.You asked in your Question in the House on 15 January whether the Home Secretary would institute an inquiry into the conduct of the Sussex police force when investigating the murder charge against Mr. Colin Wallace. We can see no grounds for such an investigation.
§ Mr. LivingstoneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who interviewed Mr. Peter Broderick and Mr. Michael Taylor in 1980 about Mr. Wallace's manslaughter case.
§ Mr. John PattenI understand from the chief constable of Sussex that Mr. Peter Broderick and Mr. Michael Taylor were seen by detectives of that police force involved in the inquiry in 1980 into the death of Jonathan Lewis, in respect of whom Mr. Wallace was convicted of manslaughter.