§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs at what time(a) his office and (b) he personally, was first informed of (i) the presence of General Pinochet in the United Kingdom, (ii) his intention to leave the UK on 20 October, (iii) the reports from the British Embassy in Madrid on Judge Garzon's activities, (iv) the contact between the 5th Central Magistrate's Court in Madrid and the Metropolitan Police and (v) the issuing of an arrest warrant for General Pinochet. [70290]
§ Mr. Tony Lloyd[holding answer 9 February 1999]: On the answers to (a) and (b) (i), and (ii) I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Spelthorne (Mr. Wilshire) on 4 November 1998, Official Report, column 601, and to the answer I gave to the hon. Lady on 27 October 1998, Official Report, column 146
(iii) The reports from our Embassy in Madrid of 12 November 1997 and 23 January 1998 were read at desk level; the reports of 15 and 16 October 1998 were read at senior official level, and drawn on in briefing the Foreign Secretary orally on 16 October before Senator Pinochet was detained.
(iv) FCO officials were informed of the request to interview Senator Pinochet from the 5th Central Magistrate's Court in Madrid on 14 October. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary was briefed on this request at the same time as he was informed of the request for Senator Pinochet's provisional arrest on 16 October.
(v) The FCO was informed of the issuing of a warrant for the provisional arrest of Senator Pinochet by the Bow Street Magistrate late on the evening of 16 October. The Foreign Secretary was immediately informed.