§ Ms. Clare Shortasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any guidance has been given to the police in Northern Ireland on the financial inducements and immunity from prosecution they are allowed to offer to encourage individuals to give evidence against others; and if he will publish that guidance in the Official Report.
§ Mr. PriorThe offer of any financial inducement to individuals to encourage them to give false evidence against others is contrary to the law; so would be the issue of guidance giving authority to the making of such offers. No such guidance exists. Nor is it the practice of the Royal Ulster Constabulary to give any undertaking to a witness which might cause him to hope or believe that he would benefit by departing from the truth. Further obligations of the police as regards the arrangements made for the support of certain witnesses were set out in my right hon. 143W and learned Friend's answer of 24 October 1983 at columns 3–5. The decision whether to grant immunity from prosecution to any person is taken personally by the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland. No immunity can be granted by the police. The principle and practices followed by the Director and the police in this conection were also set out in the written answer of 24 October.