Letter to the Chairman
of the Committee from the Foreign Secretary, 30 June 1998
You will recall that in the debate on Sandline
you sensibly observed that it would be unwise of the Select Committee
to seek to duplicate the work of the Legg investigation. You must
share my concern that a number of members of the Select Committee
are seeking to do just that.
You are aware that I have already offered the
Select Committee wider access to more official papers than the
last Conservative Government or any previous Government. I regard
as wholly unfair accusations that I am denying the Select Committee
the material to carry out its important role when I already have
agreed to make available to it all the telegrams that it seeks.
You also know that I was willing to entertain
your proposed compromise by which the telegrams could be made
available to the Select Committee now, subject to an assurance
of confidentiality until the Legg Report is published. We both
must regret that this compromise has been rejected by those members
of the Select Committee who prefer confrontation to a solution.
I have appointed an independent investigation
of the handling within the FCO of relations with Sandline. Sir
Thomas Legg and Sir Robin Ibbs have full access to all papers
of the FCO, and other relevant departments, and can take evidence
from both officials and Ministers. Their report will be published
soon and presented to Parliament and the Select Committee.
It is the collective view of the Government
that a parallel enquiry drawing on the same papers that are currently
before the Legg investigation would be prejudicial to the rapid
production of a balanced and considered report. It is a view Sir
Thomas Legg shares.
The Select Committee are entitled to disagree
with that view. What they are not entitled to do is to persist
in pursuing a parallel enquiry by summoning officials who are
bound by the collective policy of the Government. That is unfair
to the officials and unreasonable on the part of the Select Committee.
There was no ministerial conspiracy to breach
the arms embargo. There was no connivance within Whitehall to
breach the arms embargo. Britain continues to be held in high
regard in Sierra Leone for its consistent and valued support for
the restoration of the legitimate Government of President Kabbah.
If the Select Committee wishes to persist in putting questions
on these matters, they must put them directly to myself as head
of the FCO and not to officials who are accountable to me.
| 
