§ 36. Mr. Nellistasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the circumstances of the early retirement from his job at the Home Office laboratories at Chorley of Dr. Frank Skuse, the forensic scientist who gave evidence against the six men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.
§ Mr. HurdI refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a Question from the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Miss Maynard) on 20 February 1986 at column307.
§ 60. Mr. Cohenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any investigation of Dr. Frank Skuse's handling of specific cases preceded his retirement on 31 October 1985; if any has been initiated subsequently; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HurdA number of Dr. Skuse's cases were reviewed internally at various times before his retirement. Nothing emerged from these reviews which cast doubt on the safety of the convictions in the cases concerned. I am considering the forensic evidence given by Dr. Skuse at the trial of the Birmingham bombers in the context of representations about that case.