---

Home Office

Answer

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times Augusto Pinochet visited the United Kingdom since 1 May 1997, prior to his present visit; and when he was notified of each such visit. [56237] Mr. Straw: In reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) on 22 October 1998, Official Report, column 1206 about visits made by Senator Pinochet to the United Kingdom in the last five years, I explained that I understood that there had been five such visits, including the current only. I set out the dates on which I understood he had made the other four visits as: February and June 1994; October 1995; and October 1996. In answering the question, I took account of all the information available within my Department at the time. I regret that it is now clear that, although my answer properly reflected my--and my Department's-- understanding of Senator Pinochet's visits to the United Kingdom during the period in question, it did not take account of one further visit made by Senator Pinochet in the period since 1 May 1997, which had not been brought to the attention of the Home Office. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to clarify the position for the benefit of the House. I can confirm that Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have, since my answer, informed officials in the Home Office that, in addition to those visits made prior to 1 May 1997 of which the Home Office had been made aware, Senator Pinochet had also visited the United Kingdom in September 1997. There is, however, no Home Office record of that visit. A landing card should have been completed, as for any other visit, but these are not retained by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in the case of routine visits. Had I been aware of this visit I would, of course, have included a reference to it in my reply to the earlier question. I have written to my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, North to express my regret for this inaccuracy. A copy of my letter has been place in the Library.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

56237; 318 c124W

Session

1997-98

Subjects

Foreign relations Pinochet, Augusto Chile Official visits

Contains statistics

Yes