23. Memorandum submitted by the Metropolitan
Police Service
The purpose of this report is to provide the
answers and supporting documentation in response to the questions
raised in the letter dated 20 March following the Home Affairs
Select Committee visit to Paddington Police Station. A copy of
the letter is attached at Appendix A [not printed].
1. What is the total number of police cells
nationally that are suitable for holding terrorist suspects?
All of the county constabularies in England,
Wales and Scotland have identified police stations within their
respective force areas, where arrangements have been made for
the detention of terrorist suspects when arrested as a result
of a pre-planned operation. This is a total of about 80 police
stations.
The attached document at Appendix B [not
printed], prepared by the National Joint Unit (NJU), gives
the location of all of the above police stations.
The secure suite at Paddington Green is the
only "purpose-built" facility in England and Wales for
terrorist-related detainees.
There is a Scottish Terrorist Detention Centre
(STDC), which is a purpose-built facility (approximately 10 years
old), located in a police office in Glasgow.
It should be noted that persons arrested under
terrorist legislation may be legally detained at any police station
that is "designated" under the Police and Criminal Evidence
Act. For example, if a patrolling officer makes an arrest under
terrorism legislation as a result of a call to suspicious activity,
the suspect will be taken to the local designated police station.
2. Please provide a typical application to
a District Judge for an extension of pre-charge detention under
the existing arrangements.
Please see attached documents at Appendix C
[not printed]. These are two examples of Schedule 8 Applications
for warrants of further detention, drawn from the investigation
into the July bombings. Also attached is a copy of the explanatory
guide for the benefit of police officers [not printed]
(this guide is presently being reviewed and modernised).
3. Please provide an analysis of at least
10 recent terrorist investigations showing how many suspects in
each inquiry were represented by the same solicitor or same firm.
Attached at Appendix D [not printed] is
a table showing the dates of the requested number of operations
resulting in multiple detainees at the Paddington Green secure
suite, and the firms of solicitors that represented the detainees.
4. Please provide details of the cross-border
case referred to by Lord Carlile in his answer to the Committee
on 14 February.
This case is "Operation ***". The
senior investigating officer was Mr Bert Swanson from Lothian
and Borders Police. Mr Swanson, having retired as a police officer,
is still employed by Lothian and Borders police, as a cold-case
reviewer.
Also attached at Appendix E [not printed]
is a copy of a leaflet, which has been produced, apparently
by Arani and Co. The Committee became aware of the existence of
this leaflet during their visit to Paddington and have specifically
requested a copy.
April 2006
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