HC Deb 09 May 1989 vol 152 cc360-1W
Mr. Madden

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken to request United Kingdom posts in Peru and Brazil to undertake inquiries about the whereabouts of Neil Sanderson; and what contact officials at United Kingdom posts have had with the Governments or other agencies in Peru and Brazil to obtain information about Neil Sanderson.

Mr. Eggar

Her Majesty's embassies at Lima and Brasilia, Her Majesty's consulates-general at Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and the honorary consulates in Manaus, Belem and Recife were also alerted by consular department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in January this year, when Mr. Sanderson's father reported that his son was missing after setting off alone from Peru to canoe down the Amazon. None of the posts has had contact with Mr. Sanderson.

Our posts have informed the Brazilian federal and the Peruvian police of the situation but our posts do not have the staff resources to make searches for missing persons themselves. We have advised Mr. Sanserson's family to contact their local police in Yorkshire in order to request a formal police investigation in South America, via Interpol.