§ Lord Lamont of Lerwickasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any apologies were ever offered to General Pinochet following the non-disclosure of the connection between Amnesty International and Lord Hoffmann. [HL1127]
§ The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg)No apology was made directly to Senator Pinochet. However, I refer the noble Lord to the article inThe Times on 9 February 1999, where I was accurately quoted as saying "What we are talking about here is an error of judgment … It is very, very unfortunate. It has never happened before this century and I don't believe that it will happen again in 100 years.". I am sure that would have been read by Senator Pinochet or his advisers.
§ Lord Lamont of Lerwickasked Her Majesty's Government:
What representations have been made to the Spanish Government following the disclosure of the medical report on General Pinochet. [HL1126]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bassam of Brighton)Following receipt of a letter from Senator Pinochet's solicitors dated 16 February 2000 expressing concern about the leaking of the medical report in a Spanish newspaper, Home Office Officials wrote to the Crown Prosecution Service, as representatives of Spain, asking whether Spain could provide any information on how the report had been disclosed.
A reply from the Spanish authorities on the same day indicated that enquiries which they had made did not make it possible for them to conclude that the leak had occurred in Spain, but expressed regret for any difficulty caused by the report's disclosure in the Spanish press.
§ Lord Lamont of Lerwickasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, following receipt of the medical report on General Pinochet, it is appropriate that demonstrators should be allowed to bang drums outside General Pinochet's house and keep him awake. [HL1172]
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonThe policing of demonstrations is an operational matter for the local police, and is not a matter in which government Ministers can intervene.
§ Lord Lamont of Lerwickasked Her Majesty's Government:
70WAWhether they believe the length of time taken over the case of General Pinochet, during which time he has been detained, reflects well on the British system of justice. [HL1175]
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonSenator Pinochet has been held on bail for 16 months pending proceedings pursuant to an extradition request received from the Kingdom of Spain. This length of time reflects the opportunities to mount legal challenges and appeals, of which the parties to the request have availed themselves.