§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his policy towards the release of official information relating to the Lockerbie air explosion investigation in cases where the information has already become public.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonIt is generally for the Lord Advocate to determine, after consultation with any relevant Minister in the case of official information, whether information from the criminal investigation relating to the Lockerbie disaster should be released. The question whether public interest immunity restrains the giving of evidence when material relating to the Lockerbie investigation has become public or has apparently become public is one which is expected to be considered in proceedings currently before the High Court of Justice arising from the civil litigation in the United States in the Lockerbie case.
§ Sir Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps the police inquiring into the Lockerbie bombing incident have taken to seek information on the lie detecting tests undertaken by Kilin Tuzcu and Roland O'Neill at Frankfurt airport in January 1990; and if he will make a statement.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe circumstances of this matter were investigated by the German and United States authorities in consultation with the police and Crown Office. It would not be proper for any comment to be made on behalf of the Lord Advocate on the outcome of these inquiries, in particular while criminal proceedings are active. However, it has been established judicially in Scotland that the results of so-called lie detector tests are wholly inadmissible in criminal proceedings.