§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are aware of any response by the Government of Ghana to the appeal made by the Catholic bishops in July 1991 for the repeal of the Preventive Custody Law (PNDCL 4), the Habeas Corpus (Amendment) Law (PNDC 91) and the Newspaper Licensing Law (PNDC 211); whether they are aware of the detention of Mr. John Ndebugre, Organising Secretary of the Movement for Freedom and Justice, on the orders of Flight-Lieutenant Rawlings following a public rally in Bawku on 11th December 1991; whether they are aware that the Ghana High Commissioner in London does not answer letters addressed to him by the Parliamentary Human Rights Group, and what conditions they have attached, if any, to the offer of £1 million aid towards the holding of parliamentary and presidential elections in Ghana made by the Minister, Mrs. Lynda Chalker, during her visit to Accra of 4th–6th December 1991.
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (The Earl of Caithness)We are not aware of any response by the Ghana Government to the July 1991 Catholic bishops' appeal. We are aware that Mr. John Ndebugre was detained on 11th December. He was released on 18th December.
Our pledge of £1 million aid to Ghana's political reform programme will be used specifically to provide equipment and other support for organisation of the forthcoming referendum on the new constitution and elections.