§ Sir J. Hobsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will arrange that a transcript of all the evidence given to the Mount-batten Committee about the escape of Blake shall be produced, and that so much as will not affect security shall be published and the remainder shall be made available to the Leader of the Opposition;
(2) whether he will arrange for those upon whom the Mountbatten Committee may apportion blame for the escape of Blake to be notified of what may be said against them and of any evidence supporting it, and to be given the opportunity to cross-examine to such evidence and the right to give their own answer and to call any material witnesses they may desire and that all this should be done before any report is published;
(3) whether he will arrange that those who appear to give evidence about the escape of Blake before the Mountbatten Committee or upon whom blame may be apportioned may be legally represented and shall be granted legal aid in appropriate cases or be awarded their costs out of public funds;
(4) whether he will arrange for counsel to be appointed as counsel to the Mountbatten Committee when investigating the escape of Blake; and who will present the evidence, examine and cross-examine witnesses and have the general conduct of the proceedings before the Committee on behalf of the Tribunal and as representative of the public interest;
29W(5) whether he will arrange for the Treasury Solicitor or any other suitably qualified person to collect evidence, take the proofs of witnesses and generally be responsible for the collection, collation and preparation of evidence about the escape of Blake for the Mountbatten Committee; and how and by whom these functions are to be discharged.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsThe procedure described in the right hon. and learned Gentleman's Question is, in general, that appropriate to an Inquiry under the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act, 1921. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said in reply to a Question by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Ashford (Mr. Deedes) on 1st November that he did not propose to ask the House to confer the powers of such a Tribunal on Lord Mountbatten's Inquiry.
Lord Mountbatten has assured me that if he finds it necessary to criticise the conduct of any named individual, he will show the person concerned what he proposes to say and will take account of any comments before submitting his final report to me.