§ Mr. Channonasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if Mr. James Milnes-Gaskell is still in detention in St. Kitts; and what reply has been received to the representations made on his behalf by Her Majesty's Government.
§ Mrs. HartYes. Subsequent to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Northfield, Birmingham (Mr. Chapman) on 26th June—[Vol. 749, c.28–29]—the British Government Representative informed the Governments of St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla that he was not satisfied with the reasons given for Mr. Gaskell's detention, on the grounds that they were not specific enough. He represented that Mr. Gaskell should either be released or speedily brought to trial on specific criminal charges and was informed that Mr. Gaskell would be charged, together with his fellow-detainees, as soon as the study of the evidence against them had been completed 214W by the appropriate authority. The British Government Representative has drawn attention to the constitutional requirement that the cases of detainees should be reviewed by a tribunal within a month of arrest. He has ascertained that Mr. Gaskell has appeared before a tribunal which sat from 8th to 13th July but which adjourned sine die without making any recommendations, to allow hearings in the Magistrates Court of specific charges against certain of the detainees. As I informed the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten) on 10th July—[Vol. 750, c. 30]—further proceedings on the application for a writ of habeas corpus were adjourned sine die on 7th July at the request of Mr. Gaskell's counsel.
§ Mr. Turtonasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs whether he will place in the Library a copy of the St. Kitts Emergency Regulations under which Mr. Milnes Gaskell is detained.
§ Mrs. HartI have arranged for copies of the St. Christopher, Nevis and Anguilla official Gazette (Extraordinary) of Wednesday, 31st May 1967, to be placed in the Library. This contains the Emergency Powers Regulations, 1967.
Mr. Gaskell is detained under an order made under the provisions of Regulation 3.