Campbell at PMQs: We must have equal rights between British and US citizens over extradition

6.25.04pm GMT Wed 1st Mar 2006

Rt Hon Sir Menzies Campbell MP

At Prime Minister's Questions today the Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats, the Rt Hon Sir Menzies Campbell MP, raised the issue of unequal extradition arrangements between the UK and the US, and put pressure on the Prime Minister over Guantanamo Bay.

Sir Menzies challenged the Prime Minister to explain how he could be comfortable with an extradition treaty which "results in British citizens having inferior rights to American citizens, and a treaty which the US Senate shows no signs of ratifying?"

The Prime Minister failed to fully answer the question, saying only that he didn't accept that the rights of British citizens are subject to unfairness'.

The terms of the US-UK extradition treaty means that while UK authorities seeking an extradition from the US must provide a reasonable basis that the person wanted for extradition actually committed the offence ('probable cause'), the US do not have to provide similar evidence to secure an extradition from the UK.

Sir Menzies also pointed out that the Prime Minister had recently described Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay as 'an anomaly' which would have to be dealt with 'sooner or later'. Sir Menzies asked: "when will it be 'dealt with' - 'sooner' or 'later'?"