§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date investigators ordered a transcript of police radio messages in the Portadown area on the night of the attack on Mr. Robert Hamill; what measures have been taken to ensure the security of the original tape; if the transcript was made available to(a) prosecution lawyers and (b) defence lawyers, (c) the legal representatives of the Hamill family and (d) herself; and if she will place a copy in the Library. [86141]
231W
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 9 June 1999]The RUC have advised that the investigators obtained the original radio tape on 9 May 1997 and this was made available to the Director of Public Prosecutions as part of the RUC prosecution case. Transcripts were made available to the DPP and, under disclosure rules in criminal cases, to defence lawyers in the case R -v- Hobson. No transcripts have been made available to any other parties, including the Secretary of State's office. The original tape will be secured for future reference by the Chief Constable on its return to the RUC.