§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of extradition cases in which the British Government are now involved which seek the return of a British national to the United Kingdom to face criminal charges.
§ Mr. MacleanThe Government are currently seeking the extradition of 37 British nationals to the United Kingdom to face criminal charges. This does not include people whose return is sought from the Republic of Ireland under arrangements for the mutual backing of warrants.
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§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement of the proposals by the EC Justice Ministers at Limelette, Belgium, on 27-28 September, to draw up a new convention on extradition.
§ Mr. MacleanAt the Limelette meeting, EC Justice Ministers agreed a declaration instructing the judicial co-operation working group on criminal matters to continue with work initiated during the United Kingdom"s presidency of the European Community to find ways of improving and simplifying extradition arrangements between the Twelve which are at present conducted mainly under the 1957 European convention on extradition. The group was invited to examine and report to Ministers in a year on a number of possible measures which, if adopted, would streamline extradition between the Twelve, and on whether such measures might be incorporated in a new convention between the Twelve.
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were extradited to the United Kingdom from countries overseas in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. MacleanThe information is given in the table. It does not include people returned from the Republic of Ireland under arrangements for the mutual backing of warrants.
Year Number extradited 1988 14 1989 17 1990 21 1991 25 1992 17 11993 15 1to date