§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department has provided to the British soldier Richard Hudson currently detained in Skopje jail in Macedonia; and if he will make a statement. [121956]
§ Mr. HainAt the time of his arrest Mr. Hudson was working as a civilian sub-contractor for KFOR. He is not a member of HM armed forces.
Our consular staff in Macedonia have visited Mr. Hudson regularly since his arrest and will continue to do so during his detention. They have pursued every complaint or rumour of maltreatment, and taken up his case at the highest levels in the Macedonian Government.
Mr. Hudson has made an application for a transfer to a UK prison under the Council of Europe Transfer of Prisoners Agreement. We have passed his application to the UK prison service and to the Minister of Justice in Macedonia. We will continue to press the Macedonian Government for a quick decision.