HC Deb 08 March 1999 vol 327 c32W
Sir Norman Fowler

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks his Department made prior to the publication of the now withdrawn appendices of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report to ensure that no member of the public was put in danger by the information provided; and if he will make a statement. [75283]

Mr. Straw

I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, West (Mr. Butterfill) on 3 March 1999,Official Report, column 760.

Sir Norman Fowler

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the report into unauthorised publication of extracts from the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report ordered by his Permanent Secretary; and if he will make a statement. [75284]

Mr. Straw

No. It is not the practice to publish leak inquiry reports. I have undertaken to inform the House of the outcome of the investigation when they are known.

Sir Brian Mawhinney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 1 March 1999,Official Report, column 567, on the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, for what reasons it would not be in the interests of the investigation into the leak of parts of the Macpherson report to provide the information requested by the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire. [75409]

Mr. Straw

The details sought by the right hon. Member need to be established, along with other matters, by the independent investigator. It would not be appropriate for me to pre-empt that work.