Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State's contribution to the Fifth Delegated Legislation Committee on 9 March 2010 and paragraph 7.2 of the explanatory memorandum to the draft Extradition Act 2003 (Amendment to Designations) Order 2010, what the administrative oversight in respect of the exchange of instruments of ratification was; who should have informed his Department that the instruments of ratification had been exchanged; when the oversight was discovered; and for what reasons this information was not provided to the Committee by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.
Answer
[holding answer 16 March 2010]: As I have said the Government regret the delay in laying the order designating Libya as an extradition partner under the Extradition Act 2003 and that Parliament was not afforded the opportunity to discuss the matter at an earlier date. More than one Government Department is involved in the treaty process and unfortunately, on this occasion, the usual contact between the Home Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office did not take place leading to a delay in notification that the ratification procedures were complete. The oversight was discovered in January 2010 and arrangements were made immediately for the order to be drafted and considered by Parliament at the earliest opportunity.