Mr. Graham Noble

HC Deb 16 July 1993 vol 228 cc728-9W

Mr. Madden

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 30 June,Official Report, column 501, what further information he has obtained about Mr. Graham Noble, of Brighton, who is detained by Serbs in the Krajina; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

Mr. Noble has been charged by the Krajina Serbs with espionage. It is unclear at this stage exactly how long it will take to investigate his case. Her Majesty's embassy in Belgrade is pressing the Krajina Serb authorities to grant consular access to Mr. Noble for an official from the embassy in Zagreb which has consular responsibility throughout Croatia. Mr. Noble continues to receive visits from the local representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross who reports that he is well. UNPROFOR in Croatia have offered their good offices to try to arrange a visit by Mr. Noble's brother.