HL Deb 11 November 1999 vol 606 cc185-6WA
Lord Lamont of Lerwick

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether any guidance has been given to Cabinet and other Ministers about making comments about General Pinochet [HL4655]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bassam of Brighton)

The only Minister with responsibility for making decisions in relation to extradition in this case is my right honourable friend the Home Secretary. His practice is not to make public comments on matters about which he will in due course have to make decisions of a quasi-judicial nature, except of course for those comments which are appropriate when announcing decisions he has made. He has adhered to this practice in the case of Senator Pinochet and will continue to do so.

So far as comments by other Ministers are concerned, my right honourable friend the Home Secretary is well aware of the need to ensure that in making any decision in extradition cases he has regard only to relevant factors.

This, of course, reflects the longstanding convention that decisions in extradition cases are not made by my right honourable friend the Home Secretary as part of the collective responsibility of the Government, but represent his personal responsibility.

Lord Lamont of Lerwick

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Home Secretary intends to exercise his discretion relating to the requested extradition of General Pinochet at any time other than the end of the legal proceedings relating to his extradition. [HL4656]

Lord Bassam of Brighton

My right honourable friend the Home Secretary has not made any decision about when to exercise his discretion relating to the requested extradition of Senator Pinochet. He is required to approach any such decision within the limits imposed by law, and intends to do so.

Lord Lamont of Lerwick

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What response they have to the request made by the Chilean Foreign Minister, Mr Valdes, that General Pinochet be released on humanitarian grounds. [HL4657]

Lord Bassam of Brighton

Her Majesty's Government received representations from the Government of Chile on 14 October 1999 concerning the continued detention of Senator Pinochet in the United Kingdom pending the extradition proceedings currently in progress. Her Majesty's Government replied on 5 November 1999. The contents of that reply are confidential to its recipients.