§ Mr. MacShaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evaluation he has made of the independence of the judiciary in Singapore from the Government of Singapore in relation to cases which have political or international significance. [21131]
§ Mr. GoodladNone. The independence of the Singapore judiciary is a matter for the Singapore Government.
§ Mr. MacShaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held(a) with the German Government or German diplomats in the United Kingdom and (b) with the Singapore Government or Singaporean diplomats in the United Kingdom relating to (i) the Barings affair and (ii) the extradition of Mr. Nick Leeson. [21179]
§ Mr. BaldryThere have been no discussions with the German authorities about either the collapse of Barings bank or the possible extradition of Mr. Nick Leeson.
We and the Singapore authorities are co-operating in investigating the circumstances surrounding the collapse of the bank, including Mr. Leeson's activities. In response to questions from the Singapore high commission we confirmed that the Serious Fraud Office was continuing investigations to establish whether offences of serious or complex fraud had been committed which could be prosecuted in the UK.
§ Mr. MacShaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from HM embassy or consular staff in Germany about the view of the German authorities on the extradition of Mr. Nick Leeson to Singapore. [21132]
§ Mr. BaldryNone. This is entirely a matter for the German and Singapore authorities.