HC Deb 21 March 2000 vol 346 cc495-6W
Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his reply of 19 January 2000,Official Report, column 445W, if he will set out the Government's response to the specific concerns about Mrs. Nelson's safety raised by the UN Special Rapporteur in his 1998 report. [113863]

Mr. Ingram

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers referred in his March 1998 Report to complaints made by Mrs. Nelson. The Government had already informed the Special Rapporteur that the complaints by, and on behalf of, Mrs. Nelson were under investigation, under the supervision of the Independent Commission for Police Complaints.

In addition, the Government had already sought, in February 1998, an assessment from the police on Mrs. Nelson's security. The RUC determined that they had no intelligence to substantiate a specific threat to Mrs. Nelson.

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 24 January 2000,Official Report, columns 5–6W, if he will place in the Library a copy of the assessments of Mrs. Rosemary Nelson's security made by the RUC in February and August 1998. [113472]

Mr. Ingram

[holding answer 10 March 2000]: No. The assessments are confidential and are not made public. My reply on 24 January 2000, Official Report, columns 5–6W, however, indicated the outcome of the Chief Constable's threat assessments on Mrs. Nelson.

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