§ Lord Alton of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether as reported by the Times on 19 April, senior detectives described the decision of the police to reopen the inquiry into late abortion for cleft lip and palate as "political correctness gone mad", if so what action they propose to take against those detectives; and whether those same detectives will be responsible for the reopened inquiry. [HL2455]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalOn Friday April 16 2004 West Mercia Constabulary announced its decision to renew investigations into the circumstances surrounding the termination of a pregnancy in the force area.
The force has advised me that no senior detective involved in the investigation has spoken to a reporter from the Times newspaper and it does not know the source of this comment. The force informs me that the view expressed in the anonymous quote does not reflect the view of West Mercia Constabulary or anyone involved in the renewed investigation.