- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 22 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had internal discussions on the matter of US agencies using Scottish airports as refuelling stops for flights in which it is alleged that suspected terrorists are being carried to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of interrogation.
Answer
There have been a number ofroutine discussions primarily in relation to the answering of parliamentaryquestions and other enquiries on this matter.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 22 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any assessment of the details of the case being pursued by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the German national Khaled al-Masri, who alleges he was seized in Macedonia and taken to a US prison in Afghanistan in 2004 where he was tortured whilst being interrogated, when considering whether to investigate the claims that US agencies are using Scottish airports as refuelling stops for flights in which it is alleged that suspected terrorists are being carried to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of interrogation.
Answer
Whether or not toinvestigate an allegation of any criminal matter is an operational decision forthe Chief Constable of the relevant local police force.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 22 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many planes stopping over at Scottish airports, in which it is alleged that suspected terrorists are being carried to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of interrogation, have been searched by the police to investigate these claims.
Answer
This is a matter for thepolice. Whether or not to undertake an investigation is an operational decisionfor the Chief Constable of the relevant police force.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 22 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of US agencies using Scottish airports as refuelling stops for flights in which it is alleged that suspected terrorists are being carried to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of interrogation.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-21092 on 8 December 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 22 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would expect the police force with the appropriate jurisdiction to inspect a plane stopping over at a Scottish airport for refuelling if there was a suspicion that drugs or arms were being transported illegally on that plane.
Answer
The police will take suchaction as is necessary if credible and reliable information is received that acrime is being planned, is being committed, or has occurred within Scottishjurisdiction.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 22 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered its obligations under the UN Convention Against Torture in respect of the allegations that rendition flights organised by US agencies, in which it is alleged that suspected terrorists are being carried to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of interrogation, have stopped over at Scottish airports for refuelling and, if so, whether it considers that there is any veracity in such allegations and, if so, what information it has on the destination of any such flights.
Answer
Torture is a crime underScots law as required by our international obligations. The investigation ofalleged crimes is a matter for the police.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 22 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has discussed with Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International their allegations that US agencies may be transporting individuals suspected of being involved in terrorism to countries that practice torture to assess whether there is any veracity in the allegations that planes being used by US agencies for these purposes have stopped for refuelling in Scottish airports.
Answer
The Scottish Executive hasnot had any discussions with Human Rights Watch or Amnesty Internationalregarding these allegations.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 22 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would expect the police force with the appropriate jurisdiction to inspect a plane stopping over at a Scottish airport for refuelling if there was a suspicion that the plane was transporting individuals against their will to a country where they might be tortured.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-21579 on 22 December 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 22 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has discussed the issue of US agencies using Scottish airports for refuelling for flights in which it is alleged that suspected terrorists are being carried to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of interrogation with either (a) Her Majesty’s Government or any of its representatives or (b) the US Government or any of its representatives and, if so, with whom such discussions took place and what their nature was.
Answer
Officials have had routinediscussions with counterparts in the UK Government primarily in relation to theanswering of Scottish parliamentary questions and other enquiries about theseallegations. No discussions have taken place with representatives of the USGovernment regarding these allegations.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 22 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it, the Scottish Law Officers or the Procurator Fiscal Service are considering investigating the allegations that US agencies may be using Scottish airports as refuelling stops for flights in which it is alleged that suspected terrorists are being carried to countries where the practice of torture is used for the purposes of interrogation.
Answer
As indicated in my previous answerto question S2W-21576 on 22 December 2005, to date, the police have not received any specific reports of incidents involvingsuch flights occurring at Scottish airports and have not submitted any reports toprocurators fiscal.All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
