§ Ms. MowlamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the inquiry referred to in the replies by the right hon. Member for Witney (Mr. Hurd) to the hon. Member for Motherwell, North (Dr. Reid),Official Report, 26 October, columns 1032–33, will look at material collected by the Devon and Cornwall police in the course of their investigations into the appeal of those found guilty of the Birmingham pub bombings.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe investigation into the work and practices of the serious crime squad concentrates on the period since the beginning of 1986. The conduct of the inquiry is the responsibility of the investigating officer, Mr. Shaw, subject to the supervision of the Police Complaints Authority. I understand that there is no intention at present to look at the material collected by the Devon and Cornwall police, which relates to earlier events.
§ Sir John FarrTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent he will be co-operating with the Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament in its inquiry into the convictions of those found guilty of the Birmingham pub bombings.
§ Mr. WaddingtonAs I said in my reply to a question from the hon. Member on 29 November 1989 at column 268, I understand that the Legal Affairs Committee has not yet decided whether to conduct such an inquiry and, if so, what its terms of reference should be. We believe that386W it would be inappropriate for the European Parliament to inquire into the convictions of the Birmingham Six, it being a matter wholly outside the Parliament's competence.