§ Lord Lamont of Lerwickasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 13 May (WA 29), which government departments were involved in hearing representations from Russian officials about Mr Berezovsky, and when the meetings were held. [HL3081]
89WA
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)Both prior to and after this arrest pending extradition proceedings, the Russian authorities have raised Mr Berezovsky many times with Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff in London and with British Embassy officials in Moscow. There have also been written and telephone exchanges between Russian authorities and Home Office officials in connection with the extradition request. The Russian Government have had several meetings with the Crown Prosecution Service, which is representing the Russian authorities in this case. In keeping with established practice, Russian contacts with the latter are ongoing. Compiling a list of all the representations made by the Russian authorities on this case over the past two years would incur disproportionate costs.