§ Mr. KaufmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letters dated 23 September, 11 November and 16 December from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Munir Alam. [106836]
§ Mrs. RocheMy right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, wrote to my right hon. Friend today. I am sorry for the delay in replying.
§ Mr. KaufmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letters dated 28 September, 11 November and 16 December from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Muzzamil Hussain. [106835]
§ Mr. BoatengI offer unreserved apologies to my right hon. Friend for the failure to reply on time to his letters of 28 September, 11 November and 16 December with regard to Muzzamil Hussain a prisoner currently in Sudbury prison. Performance of this kind in relation to correspondence from hon. Members is, of course, unacceptable and I have taken steps to ensure that the circumstances of this particular case are not repeated.
In keeping with the sentiments expressed by my right hon. Friend in his correspondence, the prisoner concerned was released from Wealdstun prison on 28 September on compassionate grounds and again on 29 September 1999 to enable him to attend his father's funeral.