§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on the repatriation of British prisoners. [823]
§ Mr. FatchettGovernment policy is that on humanitarian grounds prisoners should be able to serve their sentences in their own country. The United Kingdom 137W is party to the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and the Commonwealth Scheme for the Transfer of Convicted Offenders. We also have bilateral agreements with Thailand and Egypt.
§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to secure the repatriation of British citizens currently detained in Venezuela. [827]
§ Mr. FatchettOn 17 April we approached the Venezuelan government about accession to the Council of Europe Convention on the transfer of Sentenced Persons. We await their reply. If the Venezuelan government acceded to the Convention British prisoners sentenced and imprisoned in Venezuela would be able to apply to transfer to a prison in the UK.