HL Deb 04 December 1980 vol 415 cc574-5WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will deposit in the Library of the House copies of the Prison Department documents in the case of Williams v. Home Office which were read out in the High Court between 25th February and 28th March this year, and subsequently given to The Guardian by Harriet Harman; whether they will also deposit in the Library copies of all the other documents handed to lawyers acting for Mr. Williams and returned to the Home Office at the end of the case, and, if not, whether they will give reasons for their refusal.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Belstead)

The documents disclosed to lawyers acting for Mr. Williams were disclosed only for use in the action concerned. To deposit them in the Library of the House would be inconsistent with the practice of successive Governments in maintaining the privacy of internal working papers.