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Lords debate on unstarred question on what changes in procedure and liaison between the Home Office and the Press Complaints Commission have taken place following their respective inquiries into the circumstances surrounding press serialisation of 'Cries Unheard' concerning the case of Mary Bell.
Lords debate on unstarred question on what changes in procedure and liaison between the Home Office and the Press Complaints Commission have taken place following their respective inquiries into the circumstances surrounding press serialisation of 'Cries Unheard' concerning the case of Mary Bell.
Lead member
Lord McNally
Answering member
Lord Williams of Mostyn
Department
Home Office
Type
Questions for short debate
Subjects
Disclosure of information; Inquiries; Home Office; Injunctions; Offenders; Proceeds of crime; Publications; Media; Press Complaints Commission; Press freedom; Biography; Bell, Mary
Date
27 January 1999
Reference
596 c1110-26
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
Statement on Home Office officials' handling of the Mary Bell case. [HL 3003].
Statement on Home Office officials' handling of the Mary Bell case. [HL 3003].
Answered by
Lord Williams of Mostyn
(Labour)
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
For answer on
22 July 1998
Answered on
22 July 1998
Subjects
Codes of practice; Civil servants; Inquiries; Homicide; Home Office; Offenders; Proceeds of crime; Publications; Media; Probation orders; Biography; Bell, Mary
Date
22 July 1998
Reference
592 c114-6WA; HL 3003
House
House of Lords
Statement on the outcome of the investigation into his officials' handling of the Mary Bell case. - Including figures.
Statement on the outcome of the investigation into his officials' handling of the Mary Bell case. - Including figures.
Asked by
Caroline Flint
(Labour)
Answered by
Jack Straw
(Labour)
Answering body
Home Office
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
21 July 1998
For answer on
22 July 1998
Answered on
22 July 1998
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the outcome of the
investigation into his officials' handling of the Mary Bell case. [52075]
Mr. Straw: I have now received the Permanent Secretary's report into the circumstances in which Home Office officials had for some
time known of the possibility of a book from which Mary Bell would profit financially, but had not informed Ministers. This was, at
my request, an investigation to identify lessons for the future, not a disciplinary inquiry.
Since her release in 1980, Mary Bell has remained under life licence under the supervision of the probation service. Throughout this
period, officials in my Department's Lifer Review Unit have received regular reports from the probation officers responsible for her
supervision. These have frequently included accounts of attempts by literary agents and the media to induce her for substantial sums
to tell her story. Indeed, there are records of such approaches to her even before she left prison.
The probation service is responsible for supervising those subject to life licence and for reporting, on a regular basis, on each
individual to the Lifer Unit on their progress. The service has a particular responsibility to ensure that the public is protected
from people who have previously committed very serious offences. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Probation has received a copy of
the report of the investigation carried out by the Chief Probation Officer of the Durham Probation Service into their handling of
Mary Bell's case, and offered me his own independent assessment of it. In the light of this, I am satisfied that the probation
service kept my officials properly informed of the plans to publish a book. Given the exceptional difficulties of the case, it is
also clear that the service has played a major and positive role in helping Mary Bell keep to the conditions of her licence in the
18 years since her release.
Between 1984 and 1987, my officials were informed that Mary Bell had become interested in producing her own account and had spent
some time preparing a manuscript. The supervising probation officer notified them of discussions with a literary agent in 1985 about
a possible autobiography. Officials advised the probation officer that the Home Office did not favour publication but had no power
to prevent it and would not attempt to put pressure on Mary Bell. Ministers were not informed of these developments and, in the
event, the project foundered. Officials heard no more about the possibility of a book until August 1995, when they were informed of
her renewed interest in producing her own account.
The probation service notified officials in January 1996 that serious negotiations were under way between Mary Bell, Gitta Sereny
and a literary agent. In July, there were informed that a contract had been signed and an advance payment made. Officials responded
to these developments along the same lines as their predecessors more than a decade previously, namely by questioning the wisdom of
the venture but confirming, correctly, that they had no power to prevent it. Great care was taken throughout to try to protect,
through maintenance of an injunction long in force, the anonymity of Mary Bell and her family, in the interests of her young
daughter.
Following a probation service letter of 6 March this year, advising that the book would appear shortly and was likely to arouse
controversy, officials recognised the need to forewarn Ministers. Because their information was that serialisation of the book would
not begin until 2 May they did not, in the event, do so until 23 April, by which time (unbeknown to them) news of the book was
already emerging. The initial briefing to Ministers concentrated on the contents of the book, and did not make it clear that
officials and the probation service had known about the contract from the outset. Ministers were given a full brief on the history
of the case only on 30 April, the day after newspaper serialisation had started and some days after widespread controversy had
arisen over the financial benefit to Mary Bell.
The Lifer Unit of the Prison Service Headquarters is responsible for casework on nearly 4,000 life sentence prisoners and around a
further 800 lifers now on supervision under licence in the community. Their primary task is to ensure that the lifer system operates
in a way which minimises risk to the public. They bear a heavy load and I am satisfied that I have been very well served--as, I
believe, have my predecessors--by the conscientious advice they provide on the exercise of my statutory powers in individual cases.
The possibility of financial benefit to Mary Bell for a book about her crimes did not involve questions of public risk or any breach
of the law or the terms of her life licence. Officials accordingly concluded, as early as 1985, that there was nothing they could do
to prevent it and did not therefore believe it necessary to submit to Ministers.
Ministers are entitled to expect that officials will try to spot events involving their cases which are likely to arouse controversy
and provoke concern over the adequacy of the law. I believe that officials acted in this case throughout in good faith and in
accordance with a correct interpretation of the law. With hindsight, it is clear that there were a number of occasions on which
Ministers might reasonably have been informed of developments in the Mary Bell case. The Permanent Secretary has accordingly
recommended to me procedural and other improvements which will help guide Home Office staff in assessing future cases where
Ministers may need to be kept informed of developments, even where there is no question of the exercise by them of statutory powers.
He and the Director General of the Prison Service are specifically preparing revised internal operating procedures for the handling
of lifer cases and arranging for supplementary guidance to be provided to lifer caseworkers and supervising probation officers.
I have asked officials separately to consider whether the law relating to criminal memoirs might sensibly be strengthened.
Subjects
Inquiries; Offenders; Proceeds of crime; Biography; Bell, Mary; Sereny, Gitta
Date
22 July 1998
Reference
52075; 316 c546-8W
House
House of Commons
Answered by
Lord Williams of Mostyn
(Labour)
Asked by
Lord McNally
(Liberal Democrat)
Type
Oral answers to questions
What is the outcome of their inquiry into the events surrounding the publication of Cries Unheard concerning the case of Mary Bell, with particular reference to any lessons to be learned by the supervising authorities and the media.
Subjects
Inquiries; Home Office; Offenders; Proceeds of crime; Media; Press Complaints Commission; Biography; Bell, Mary
Date
16 June 1998
Reference
590 c1446-8
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
Answered by
Lord Williams of Mostyn
(Labour)
Type
Oral answers to questions
Subjects
Inquiries; Home Office; Offenders; Proceeds of crime; Media; Press Complaints Commission; Biography; Bell, Mary
Date
16 June 1998
Reference
590 c1446-8
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
1st supplementary on delay in investigation into knowledge of Home Office officials on the case, and on legal position and Press Complaints Commission position, and whether profiting by crime applies to those convicted of offences abroad.
1st supplementary on delay in investigation into knowledge of Home Office officials on the case, and on legal position and Press Complaints Commission position, and whether profiting by crime applies to those convicted of offences abroad.
Asked by
Lord McNally
(Liberal Democrat)
Oral questions - 1st Supplementary
Status
Answered
Answered on
16 June 1998
Subjects
Inquiries; Home Office; Offenders; Proceeds of crime; Media; Press Complaints Commission; Biography; Bell, Mary
Date
16 June 1998
Reference
590 c1446-8
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
What is the outcome of their inquiry into the events surrounding the publication of Cries Unheard concerning the case of Mary Bell, with particular reference to any lessons to be learned by the supervising authorities and the media.
What is the outcome of their inquiry into the events surrounding the publication of Cries Unheard concerning the case of Mary Bell, with particular reference to any lessons to be learned by the supervising authorities and the media.
Asked by
Lord McNally
(Liberal Democrat)
Answered by
Lord Williams of Mostyn
(Labour)
Oral questions - Lead
Status
Answered
For answer on
16 June 1998
Answered on
16 June 1998
Subjects
Inquiries; Home Office; Offenders; Proceeds of crime; Media; Press Complaints Commission; Biography; Bell, Mary
Date
16 June 1998
Reference
590 c1446-8
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will investigate the role of (a) the Probation Service and (b) his Department in the publication of the book Cries Unheard; and if they were aware in advance of any proposed payment to Mary Bell.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will investigate the role of (a) the Probation Service and (b) his Department in the publication of the book Cries Unheard; and if they were aware in advance of any proposed payment to Mary Bell.
Asked by
Peter Atkinson
(Conservative)
Answered by
Jack Straw
(Labour)
Answering body
Home Office
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
30 April 1998
For answer on
6 May 1998
Answered on
6 May 1998
Mr. Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate the role of (a) the Probation
Service and (b) his Department in the publication of the book "Cries Unheard"; and if they were aware in advance of any proposed
payment to Mary Bell. [41060]
Mr. Straw: I have asked the Permanent Secretary of the Home Office to investigate the circumstances in which Home Office officials
became aware that Mary Bell, convicted for manslaughter and released on life licence, was proposing to co-operate with Gitta Sereny
in the writing of a book about her life, to establish what procedures and instructions were in place to guide proper consideration
of the case, and to make recommendations for improvement in handling such cases in future. I have asked for a report by the end of
June, with the intention of making the main findings public.
The Probation Service is separately reviewing their involvement in events leading up to the publication of the book and I have asked
for a report on the outcome.
Subjects
Offenders; Biography; Bell, Mary; Sereny, Gitta
Date
6 May 1998
Reference
311 c398-9W; 41060
House
House of Commons
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what action he intends to take in relation to media coverage of the person formerly known as Mary Bell and the High Court injunction of 30th July 1984.
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what action he intends to take in relation to media coverage of the person formerly known as Mary Bell and the High Court injunction of 30th July 1984.
Asked by
Hilton Dawson
(Labour)
Answered by
Geoffrey Hoon
(Labour)
Answering body
Lord Chancellor's Department
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
29 April 1998
For answer on
5 May 1998
Answered on
5 May 1998
Mr. Dawson: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what action he intends to take in relation to media
coverage of the person formerly known as Mary Bell and the High Court injunction of 30 July 1984. [40810]
Mr. Hoon: It is not for the Government to take action. Any party to the injunction may refer the matter to the court if it is
thought that there has been a breach of its terms.
Subjects
Injunctions; Offenders; Media; Biography; Bell, Mary
Date
5 May 1998
Reference
311 c274W; 40810
House
House of Commons
Answered by
Lord Hoyle
(Labour)
Asked by
Lord McNally
(Liberal Democrat)
Type
Oral answers to questions
What discussions they have held with book and newspaper publishers and radio and television companies about payment to convicted criminals for memoirs and related material concerning their criminal past.
Subjects
Autobiography; Offenders; Proceeds of crime; Media; Biography; Bell, Mary; Chequebook journalism
Date
30 April 1998
Reference
589 c385-8
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
1st supplementary on harassment by journalists of Mary Bell and her daughter and welcoming intervention of Lord Wakeham regarding cheque-book journalism.
1st supplementary on harassment by journalists of Mary Bell and her daughter and welcoming intervention of Lord Wakeham regarding cheque-book journalism.
Asked by
Lord McNally
(Liberal Democrat)
Oral questions - 1st Supplementary
Status
Answered
Answered on
30 April 1998
Subjects
Autobiography; Offenders; Proceeds of crime; Media; Biography; Bell, Mary; Chequebook journalism
Date
30 April 1998
Reference
589 c385-8
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
Answered by
Lord Hoyle
(Labour)
Type
Oral answers to questions
Subjects
Autobiography; Offenders; Proceeds of crime; Media; Biography; Bell, Mary; Chequebook journalism
Date
30 April 1998
Reference
589 c385-8
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
Member
Baroness Taylor of Bolton
(Labour)
Type
Proceeding contributions
Subjects
Media; Bell, Mary; Advertising; Departmental responsibilities; Foreign policy; Political parties; Recess
Date
30 April 1998
Reference
311 c470-1
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
Supplementary business questions on Mary Bell and ownership and behaviour of the media.
Supplementary business questions on Mary Bell and ownership and behaviour of the media.
Member
Lord Tyler
(Liberal Democrat)
Type
Business questions
Subjects
Media; Bell, Mary; Advertising; Departmental responsibilities; Foreign policy; Political parties; Recess
Date
30 April 1998
Reference
311 c470-1
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
What discussions they have held with book and newspaper publishers and radio and television companies about payment to convicted criminals for memoirs and related material concerning their criminal past.
What discussions they have held with book and newspaper publishers and radio and television companies about payment to convicted criminals for memoirs and related material concerning their criminal past.
Asked by
Lord McNally
(Liberal Democrat)
Answered by
Lord Hoyle
(Labour)
Oral questions - Lead
Status
Answered
For answer on
30 April 1998
Answered on
30 April 1998
Subjects
Autobiography; Offenders; Proceeds of crime; Media; Biography; Bell, Mary; Chequebook journalism
Date
30 April 1998
Reference
589 c385-8
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
House
House of Lords
Answered by
Tony Blair
(Labour)
Asked by
John Heppell
(Labour)
Answering body
Prime Minister
Type
Oral answers to questions
To ask the Prime Minister, If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 29th April. (Question not printed). -
Subjects
Crimes of violence; Law; Publications; Reform; Bell, Mary
Date
29 April 1998
Reference
311 c326
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
1st supplementary on financial gains from books written by perpetrator of a heinous crime.
1st supplementary on financial gains from books written by perpetrator of a heinous crime.
Asked by
John Heppell
(Labour)
Answering body
Prime Minister
Prime Minister's questions - 1st Supplementary
Status
Answered
Answered on
29 April 1998
Subjects
Crimes of violence; Law; Publications; Reform; Bell, Mary
Date
29 April 1998
Reference
311 c326
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
Answered by
Tony Blair
(Labour)
Answering body
Prime Minister
Type
Oral answers to questions
Subjects
Crimes of violence; Law; Publications; Reform; Bell, Mary
Date
29 April 1998
Reference
311 c326
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
To ask the Prime Minister, If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 29th April. (Question not printed). -
To ask the Prime Minister, If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 29th April. (Question not printed). -
Asked by
John Heppell
(Labour)
Answered by
Tony Blair
(Labour)
Answering body
Prime Minister
Prime Minister's questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Tabled on
8 April 1998
For answer on
29 April 1998
Answered on
29 April 1998
Subjects
Crimes of violence; Law; Publications; Reform; Bell, Mary
Date
29 April 1998
Reference
311 c326; 39093
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
That this House notes with disgust reports that payments of ??50,000 have been given to Mary Bell, a child killer convicted in 1968 of murdering two children; notes that this payment has been offered for her collaboration in a book about her life entitled 'Cries Unheard', published by Macmillan and written by Gitta Sereny; believes that this payment is deeply offensive to the general population and to the parents of the victims, as Mary Bell should not be permitted to profit from these tragedies; further notes that this book should be banned; and calls upon the Home Secretary to take action to ensure that other criminals are not able to make money from their crimes.
That this House notes with disgust reports that payments of ??50,000 have been given to Mary Bell, a child killer convicted in 1968 of murdering two children; notes that this payment has been offered for her collaboration in a book about her life entitled 'Cries Unheard', published by Macmillan and...
Primary sponsor
Lindsay Hoyle
(Labour)
Type
Early day motions
Amended by
Hilton Dawson
Amended on
27 April 1998
Subjects
Homicide; Biography; Bell, Mary; Sereny, Gitta
Date
27 April 1998
Reference
1251; 1251A1
House
House of Commons