§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to and what reports he has received from the authorities in(a) Kashmir and (b) India concerning the hostage Paul Wells. [16226]
§ Sir Nicholas BonsorMr right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised the kidnapping of Paul Wells and Keith Mangan with his Indian and Pakistani counterparts during his January visits. We remain deeply troubled that there has been no confirmed news of the two men since August 1995. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made our concern clear and obtained assurances of all possible assistance in finding out what has happened to the men. He has since written to their families. The Foreign Office consular division will keep them fully informed of any developments.
We are in touch with the Indian authorities, and with the Chief Minister of Kashmir. The diplomatic missions of the UK, USA, Germany and Norway also follow closely the investigation undertaken by the Jammu and Kashmir police.