§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what tactical and operational advice was given by Sandline officers from HMS Cornwall to Sandline staff. [42141]
§ Mr. George RobertsonThere were no Sandline officers based on HMS Cornwall, and no tactical or operational advice was given by HMS Cornwall to Sandline personnel.
§ Mr. RobathanTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish all dispatches from HMS Cornwall while on station off West Africa in the last year. [42408]
§ Mr. George RobertsonA large number of communications were sent from HMS Cornwall covering a very wide range of subjects including operational, administrative and personnel matters. I am not, therefore, prepared to release this material and am withholding it under exemptions 1, 2 and 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. Any relevant material will, of course, however, be made available to the independent investigation by Sir Thomas Legg KCB QC.