§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) of 30 November,Official Report, column 8, how many of the few records relating to the wartime Nazi occupation of the Channel islands that have been held by the Home Office on extended closure relate in any way to allegations of war crimes 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. Kenneth ClarkeOnly seven files have been retained on extended closure under section 5(1) of the Public Records Act 1958. It has been the practice of successive Administrations not to disclose the contents of records which are so withheld from public release. The papers will, however, be made available to any official prosecuting authority investigating alleged war crimes.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Walsall North (Mr. Winnick) of 30 November,Official Report, columns 7–8, how many records from the few records relating to the wartime Nazi occupation of the Channel islands that have been held by the Home Office on extended closure have been passed to prosecuting authorities in the United Kingdom or in Germany; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. JackNone; but none has been requested. It is the policy of the Home Office that such records—whether open or closed—may be made available to any official prosecuting authority which requests them for the purposes of investigations or prosecutions concerning alleged war crimes.