§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will deposit in the Library a copy of the four reports dispatched by the British Embassy in Madrid to his Department relating to Judge Garzon's investigations into Chile. [67956]
§ Mr. Tony LloydNo. The four reports dispatched by the British Embassy in Madrid relating to Judge Garzon's investigation into Chile were internal communications between the Embassy and the Foreign and Commonwealth598W Office and also covered wider issues. On the specific question of Judge Garzon's investigations into Chile the reports were as follows:
12 November 1997: in the context of reporting developments in the case of Adolfo Scilingo a reference to the fact that Garzon's next step might be to issue warrants against Chileans (unnamed).23 January 1998: a further report on actions against Scilingo, where the Public Prosecutor of the Audiencia Nacional had ordered Garzon to close the file. The report mentioned that investigations of Chileans, including Pinochet, continued.15 October 1998: a report indicating that Garzon wished the Commission Rogatoire to be processed quickly and that what he had in mind was issuing an international arrest warrant. The report says nothing on timing of the warrant.16 October 1998: a comment on the previous day's report, clarifying that the intention was possibly to issue a warrant while Pinochet was in the UK, but without specifying timing.