Westland plc (Hansard, 3 February 1986)

§ Mr. Dalyell
asked the Attorney-General, pursuant to the answer of 27 January, Official Report, column 357, on what evidence he based his conclusion that there was no possibility that proceedings would be instituted against Ms. Colette Bowe in relation to disclosure of extracts from the letter from the Solicitor-General to the then Secretary of State for Defence; and if he will make a statement.
58W

§ The Attorney-General
I was satisfied by what the head of the Civil Service was able to tell me that there was no reason to doubt that Ms. Bowe had acted in complete good faith.

§ Mr. Dobson
asked the Attorney-General on what day, at what time and in what form the Solicitor-General first saw a copy of the then Secretary of State for Defence's letter of Friday 3 January to Lloyds merchant bank.

§ The Attorney-General
InThe Times on 4 January in the evening when it was drawn to his attention by the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
asked the Attorney-General for what purpose, and at what time, the Solicitor-General requested the then Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine) to supply the documents referred to in his letter of 7 January as having been supplied on 3 January; and if he will now place those documents in the public domain.

§ The Attorney-General
The documents referred to in my hon. and learned Friend the Solicitor-General's letter of 7 January were in fact supplied to him at his request by the then Secretary of State for Defence on 31 December 1985 for the purpose of enabling the Solicitor-General to advise on my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's reply to Sir John Cuckney. The reference in my hon. and learned Friend's letter to the Secretary of State for Defence of 6 January to the fact that specified documents were available to him when he gave advice on 31 December to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister relates to this occasion. The date of 3 January was inserted in error in the letter of 7 January. The documents were disclosed to my hon. and: learned Friend for the purposes of giving legal advice. I am therefore not prepared to place them in the public domain.