§ Ms. ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has discussed the Guildford and Woolwich or the Maguire cases with(a) the Lord Chief Justice or (b) the Master of the Rolls.
§ Mr. John PattenNo.
§ Ms. PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the nine Surrey police officers who were in Birmingham at the time of the pub bombings have been identified.
§ Mr. Peter LloydI refer the hon. Member to the replies given to questions from the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) on 30 October 1989 at columns39–40. It is not known whether any Surrey officers were in Birmingham at the time of the pub bombings, although I understand that a team of nine Surrey officers was in the west midlands area at the time. This is among the matters relating to the case of the Birmingham pub bombings which are currently under investigation by the Devon and Cornwall constabulary on behalf of the chief constable of the West Midlands police.
§ Ms. WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the new inquiry undertaken by the Devon and Cornwall police into the Birmingham Six to be completed.
§ Mr. John PattenIt is not possible at this stage to say when the Devon and Cornwall constabulary will be able to report on the results of its inquiries, but I know that the police are fully aware of the need to complete those inquiries as quickly and as thoroughly as possible.