§ Mr. SternTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine to768W ascertain if returned asylum seekers facing a charge of desertion from the Army can be tried in a country other than that to which they are returned; [21319]
(2) if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine to ascertain if returned asylum seekers facing a charge of desertion from the Army are entitled to the benefit of civilian legal advice;[21321]
(3) if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine to ascertain if returned asylum seekers facing a charge of desertion from the Army would be tried in open court; [21320]
(4) if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine to obtain their opinions on claims of the forcible abduction of asylum-seekers from Germany while awaiting the opportunity to provide intelligence to NATO officers; [21322]
(5) if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine on the penalties potentially faced by asylum seekers deported by a member of NATO who face charges of desertion from the Army after their return to those countries. [21318]
§ Sir Nicholas BonsorI have no plans at present to hold discussions with the Russian, Belarusian or Ukranian Foreign Ministers on these matters.
§ Mr. SternTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will hold discussions with his German counterpart on the obligations to asylum seekers who face maltreatment on return to their country of origin and who have provided intelligence information to the benefit of the United Kingdom as a member of NATO; [21317]
(2) if he will hold discussions with his German counterpart on the deferral of deportation orders against asylum seekers in Germany who face deportation to Russia, Belarus or Ukraine until it can be established whether any of those asylum seekers were given indications of asylum in the course of interrogation by intelligence officers reporting to NATO or members thereof. [21316]
§ Mr. David DavisOur understanding is that the German authorities have yet to take a decision on the status of the former Soviet Army officers but are considering the issue sympathetically. The British embassy in Bonn has drawn the public interest in this subject to the attention of the German Government. We continue to follow the matter closely. The practice of successive Governments has been not to comment on intelligence matters.