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First World War Soldiers (Pardons)

I appreciate that warning, Mr. Bayley. I congratulate the hon. Member for Mid-Norfolk (Mr. Simpson) on his consistency on this issue—being present when it is debated and discussed—and on the excellent way in which he presented his point of view, although it is not one that I share. There is an issue that goes beyond what he explained about the traditions of natural justice in this country and what the overwhelming majority of people feel is a realistic approach in today's society. By any means, most of us agree that what happened was an appalling outcome in the circumstances. No stone should be left unturned; if a change in the law is required to give those men pardons, then that is what should happen. I agree with virtually everything that the hon. and learned Member for Redcar (Vera Baird) said, except her comments about putting this matter to the Criminal Cases Review Commission. The problem is that there would not be consistency of evidence, so some cases would get a thorough going over, some of which might end up with a pardon being granted, but, sadly, that opportunity would not be present in many cases. We know the likely problems from previous examinations and from what the Secretary of State told us in 1998, when he had fastidiously gone through the documentation and considered the cases. I remember conversations we had in his office in which he said what an emotional rollercoaster he was on when he read the cases; he had a picture of his relatives who had served in the first world war on the bookcase in his office. He said, ““I read these papers and looked at these pictures and could not fail to be emotionally involved in the situation.”” He also said that there was such scant information available in some instances that it was impossible to go one way or the other, which would be unfair to the cause and to the majority of the people involved.