§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many records from the small number of files relating to the wartime Nazi occupation of the Channel islands that have been held by his Department on extended closure have been passed to prosecuting authorities in the United Kingdom or in Germany; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonIt has been the practice of the Ministry of Defence to make all papers, whether open or closed, available to any official prosecuting authority investigating alleged war crimes.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the small number of files relating to the wartime Nazi occupation of the Channel islands, that have been held by the Ministry of Defence on extended closure, relate in any way to allegations of war crimes or atrocities that may have been committed by(a) United Kingdom citizens and (b) non-United Kingdom citizens on the island of Alderney; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe small number of papers relating to the wartime Nazi occupation of the Channel islands still held by my Department remain properly closed under the provisions of section 5(1) of the Public Records Acts of 1958 and 1967.
It has been the practice of successive Governments not to disclose the contents of records which are so withheld from public release, but the papers will be made available to any official prosecuting authority investigating alleged war crimes.