HL Deb 18 December 1991 vol 533 cc54-5WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of the correspondence between Lord Avebury and the Director of Public Prosecutions and between Lord Avebury and the then Attorney General concerning the prosecution by the West Midlands Police of Mr. George Edward Tompkins in respect of an armed robbery at Leamington Spa on April 21st 1983; and whether, in the light of discoveries about criminal conspiracies to pervert the course of justice by members of that force, they will conduct an inquiry into the circumstances in which Mr. Tompkins was held in custody for 15 months before being tried and acquitted.

The Lord Chancellor

It is not the practice of the Attorney General to place copies of his correspondence in the Library of the House.

On 20th December 1989 Mr. Tompkins lodged a formal complaint against officers of the West Midlands Police. The inquiry into that complaint by the West Yorkshire Police has been completed and their report is now under consideration at Crown Prosecution Service Headquarters.