COMMONS COMMITTEE TO EXAMINE PRISONER TRANSFER AGREEMENT BETWEEN LIBYA AND UK

COMMONS COMMITTEE TO EXAMINE PRISONER TRANSFER AGREEMENT BETWEEN LIBYA AND UK

SNP Member of the Commons Scottish Affairs Select Committee, Pete Wishart MP, today (Wednesday) welcomed the committee’s decision to examine the UK context of the case of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi and the consequences for cross border relationships between Westminster and Scottish Governments.

Speaking following the decision Mr Wishart said:

“The Scottish Affairs Committee will examine how contact was managed on an inter-government basis in the case of Mr Al-Megrahi. The decisions to reject Prisoner Transfer and grant compassionate release were clearly for Scotland’s Justice Secretary to make, and we already know that the UK Government – and indeed the US authorities – were given advance notice of Kenny MacAskill’s decisions the evening before the public announcement.

“The committee will consider the management of the discussions concerning the UK/Libyan Prisoner Transfer Arrangement – which of course the Scottish Government were strongly opposed to – and when and how this was communicated to Holyrood Ministers by the UK Government.

“The Foreign Secretary, the Westminster Justice Secretary, and representatives of the Scottish Government will be asked to give evidence and I am looking forward to exploring with Ministers the background and basis of the PTA.

“We will quite rightly not consider the decisions made by the Scottish Justice Secretary.”