Sierra Leone — 18 May 1998

I beg to move,

That this House deplores the muddle of government policy towards Sierra Leone over the last year; notes the contradictory statements made on this matter by the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and the Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; stresses the importance of establishing what knowledge and involvement there was on the part of government ministers, officials and officers of the intelligence services of and in the activities of Sandline International, including possible breaches of both international and United Kingdom law; and calls on the Government to announce without delay that it will establish a public inquiry into this question, presided over by a judge to be nominated by the Lord Chief Justice.

I beg to move, To leave out from "House" to the end of the Question, and to add instead thereof:

'notes the Government's consistent policy of support for the restoration of President Kabbah and recognition of him as the elected and legitimate President of Sierra Leone and welcomes the

Again, the hon. Member for Hackney, North and Stoke Newington has pointed out the fallacy in that argument. It contradicted the Minister of State's evidence that he was not told until 1 May, a statement that he has since revoked, but for which he has not yet apologised.

and the Foreign Secretary has said that he was

"to co-ordinate international support for the restoration".--[ Official Report , 12 May 1998; Vol. 312, c. 153.]

Question put, That the original words stand part of the Question:--

The House divided: Ayes 128, Noes 287.

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