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2.5 Deputy M.R. Higgins of the Minister for Home Affairs regarding the publication of a letter which precipitated the suspension of the former Chief Officer of the States of Jersey Police:
Will the Minister publish the letter from the then Deputy Chief Officer of the States of Jersey Police to the then Chief Executive of the States in November 2008 which precipitated the suspension of the Chief Officer of the States of Jersey Police and, if not, why not?
Senator B.I. Le Marquand (The Minister for Home Affairs):
It is my understanding that that letter was previously leaked and appeared on blog sites and so if the Deputy really wants to find the contents of the letter, I am sure he can do that but I have to make the decision as to whether it is in the public interest to release this particular letter. At the moment, I am not minded so to do. It is a letter which was considered by the Napier Report in detail. It was also considered as part of the failed attempt by Mr. Power to overturn the suspension decision made by me in March 2009. It also makes reference to the Metropolitan Police Report and the Metropolitan Police have consistently objected to it being used as a part of a disciplinary process. If I release the letter, then inevitably there will follow a demand to see that report and I do not think that that is appropriate. It reflects the concerns of Mr. Warcup in November 2008. However, the definitive report in matters concerning Mr. Power is now the report of the Wiltshire Police. Frankly, I am not convinced that it is in the public interest to release this at this time and as I said before, if Members really want to find it, it was leaked on to websites some years ago and they can find it there but I do not at the moment propose to release it.
- Deputy M.R. Higgins:
I am pleased the Minister for Home Affairs has confirmed that whatever letter is on the blog is accurate so I will go and look for it, but what concerns me about this letter and the whole process is the fact that the interim report of the Metropolitan Police was used as the justification for suspending the Chief Officer of Police and yet Mr. Sweeting - the police officer who was leading the investigation into the review of the case, which again I stress was not for disciplinary purposes - was not even aware that the interim report existed or had been published at the time when he spoke with the former Senior Investigating Officer, Lenny Harper, and Andy Baker from A.C.P.O. (Association of Chief Police Officers) after its publication, so he knew nothing about it. So this is why it is crucial that we get this letter out and we get to the bottom of this interim report and how it was brought forward. Does the Minister not agree that until these questions have been answered, this is going to rumble and rumble and it is going to unfortunately carry on probably for the rest of this session of the Parliament until answers are brought together?
[10:30]
Senator B.I. Le Marquand:
As I have already indicated, if somebody would send me the Independent Complaints Commission report and information which is now being put to me that the interim report was not produced by the officer who was just named, if they would send me that detail, I can consider it. I will then go and look again. This will be the third time I am looking at the documents but I will go and look again. I am much less diffident now about looking at these documents for the simple reason that the disciplinary matter is now over, it was very difficult while it was going on and I will see who sent the email. It may be that it was the person that we mentioned before, Mr. Sweeting who sent the email, in which case I am afraid he has forgotten what he did. But I will check it if people will kindly send me the information to enable me to ...
Deputy M. R. Higgins:
A point of information to the Minister, it was a Mr. Brittan who signed the report.
- The Deputy of Grouville :
Will the terms of reference of the Committee of Inquiry into historic child abuse cover these sorts of issues and the issues that have been raised thus far, thus handing it over to an independent person to review once and for all?
Senator B.I. Le Marquand:
That is a matter for the States to decide. I think it is unlikely that the Chief Minister will recommend that as part of a proposition.
The Bailiff :
Do you wish a final question, Deputy Higgins? I am sorry, Deputy Pitman.
- Deputy T.M. Pitman:
Does the Minister not concede that it is a pretty sorry indictment of our Government that people can find out more information about what is going on by going on to the internet and read investigative bloggers, or whatever one wants to call them? What I really would like to ask the Minister, given what has been said by the Members, does he not think this should form a crucial part of the Committee of Inquiry into the historic abuse saga, and that would be a way to get to real bottom of people under oath?
Senator B.I. Le Marquand:
No, I think that would be a complete waste of money. We have already spent a great deal of money on the Napier report. Unfortunately some Members will not accept its conclusions in this area, they want a best of 3 competition. If it goes against them next time they will want best of 5, and if they lose that one they will want best of 7.