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1685193

registered interest
date	25/01/2024
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Sir Edward Heath
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks of Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 17 January (HL Deb col 466), whether the Home Secretary has had the opportunity to read the relevant section of Hansard for that date; and what was his response.
tabling member printed	Lord Lexden
uin	HL1923
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2024 answer text <p>Having considered the Hansard record of the debate of 17 January 2024 titled <em>Sir Edward Heath: Operation Conifer, </em>the Government has no plans to commission a review of either the conduct of the investigation into allegations made against Sir Edward Heath or the findings of that investigation.</p><p> </p><p>The Operation Conifer investigation has already been subject to considerable external scrutiny, and its Summary Closure Report emphasises that no inference of guilt should be drawn from the fact that, had he been alive, Sir Edward Heath would have been interviewed under caution concerning seven allegations to obtain his account of events.</p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom question first answered 07/02/2024 16:43:37 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
tabling member	4202 label Biography information for Lord Lexden

1047576

registered interest
date	23/01/2019
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Sir Edward Heath
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Barran on 20 December 2018 (HL Deb, col 1996), when they will provide a full explanation of the reasons behind their decision not to establish an inquiry into the seven outstanding allegations against Sir Edward Heath left open at the end of Operation Conifer.
tabling member printed	Lord Lexden
uin	HL13069
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/02/2019 answer text <p>The Government has set out its reasons for not establishing an inquiry into the allegations against Sir Edward Heath most recently on the floor of the House on 11 and 18 December 2018. The Home Secretary also wrote to Lord Armstrong of Ilminster on 10 October 2018 and a copy of this letter was placed in the Library of the House. The Government’s position remains as previously set out: there are no grounds to justify review or intervention by Government.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 06/02/2019 15:34:43 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	4202 label Biography information for Lord Lexden

1011242

registered interest
date	20/11/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Sir Edward Heath
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the cost of Operation Conifer was funded by (1) Wiltshire and Swindon police force, and (2) the Government under special funding arrangements.
tabling member printed	Lord Campbell-Savours
uin	HL11603
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2018 answer text <p>The Home Office only holds information in relation to the additional costs of Operation Conifer. We do not have details of opportunity costs incurred (i.e. the costs of officers whilst on their regular duties). Opportunity costs are met by the force through general funding.</p><p>In relation to the additional costs:</p><p>• The Home Office provided £1.1 million in Special Grant funding.</p><p>• Wiltshire Police made a contribution of £0.2 million (equivalent to 15 per cent of the additional costs total).</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 04/12/2018 15:27:44 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	499 label Biography information for Lord Campbell-Savours

1011243

registered interest
date	20/11/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Sir Edward Heath
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of the proposal by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon in his most recent annual report for a public inquiry into Operation Conifer.
tabling member printed	Lord Campbell-Savours
uin	HL11604
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2018 answer text <p>The Government has given careful consideration to this issue and has concluded that there are no grounds to justify a public inquiry into Operation Conifer.</p><p>Cost was not a factor in that decision and insufficient assessment of the cost of such an inquiry has been carried out.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 04/12/2018 15:28:01 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	499 label Biography information for Lord Campbell-Savours

1006105

registered interest
date	13/11/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Sir Edward Heath
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will commission a review of Operation Conifer.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	190738
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2018 answer text <p>The Government has given careful consideration to a review of Operation Conifer but has concluded that there are no grounds to justify review or intervention by Government.</p> answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd question first answered 19/11/2018 16:42:49 answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

1006107

registered interest
date	13/11/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Sir Edward Heath
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the cost to the public purse was of Operation Conifer; and what lessons have been learnt as a result of that operation.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	190739
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2018 answer text <p><br>The Home Office does not hold information on the total cost of Operation Conifer, as this is an operational matter for Wiltshire Police. However, in December 2017 the department provided £1.1 million of Special Grant funding towards the overall cost of the operation.</p><p>Lessons were learnt from the various forms of scrutiny the operation was subject to, including an Independent Scrutiny Panel, two reviews by Operation Hydrant and a review by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (as it was then). The findings of the operation were then published in the Summary Closure Report, which can be found at: <a href="https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/media/582/Op-Conifer-Summary-Closure-Report/pdf/Op_Conifer_Summary_Closure_Report.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/media/582/Op-Conifer-Summary-Closure-Report/pdf/Op_Conifer_Summary_Closure_Report.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd question first answered 19/11/2018 16:44:27 answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

1005603

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Sir Edward Heath
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any estimate had been made of the cost of any review of Operation Conifer.
tabling member printed	Lord Campbell-Savours
uin	HL11374
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>Estimates of cost were not made, as Government has concluded that there are no grounds to justify review or intervention with regards to Operation Conifer.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford grouped question UIN HL11375 HL11376 question first answered 26/11/2018 17:02:36 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	499 label Biography information for Lord Campbell-Savours

1005604

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Sir Edward Heath
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to commission an assessment of the cost of a review of Operation Conifer.
tabling member printed	Lord Campbell-Savours
uin	HL11375
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>Estimates of cost were not made, as Government has concluded that there are no grounds to justify review or intervention with regards to Operation Conifer.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford grouped question UIN HL11374 HL11376 question first answered 26/11/2018 17:02:36 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	499 label Biography information for Lord Campbell-Savours

1005605

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Sir Edward Heath
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have considered commissioning a review of Operation Conifer.
tabling member printed	Lord Campbell-Savours
uin	HL11376
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>Estimates of cost were not made, as Government has concluded that there are no grounds to justify review or intervention with regards to Operation Conifer.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford grouped question UIN HL11374 HL11375 question first answered 26/11/2018 17:02:36 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	499 label Biography information for Lord Campbell-Savours

988463

registered interest
date	15/10/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Sir Edward Heath
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answers by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 October (HL Deb, cols 177–9), what are the legal constraints, if any, on Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary which prevent him undertaking a review of Operation Conifer carried out by the Wiltshire police.
tabling member printed	Lord Lexden
uin	HL10662
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2018 answer text <p>Under Section 54(2) of the Police Act 1996, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary is charged with inspecting and reporting on the efficiency and effectiveness of every police force maintained for a police area. Any reviews he carries out must be done for this purpose. In its most recent Effectiveness inspection of Wiltshire Police in 2017, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire &amp; Rescue Services judged the force to be “good”.</p><p>There is no provision in law which would prevent the Government from commissioning an independent inquiry into Operation Conifer but the Government would need a clear justification for doing so. As it is, Operation Conifer has already been subject to considerable external scrutiny: from its own Independent Scrutiny Panel; from Operation Hydrant (which delivers the national policing response, oversight and coordination of non-recent child sexual abuse investigations concerning persons of public prominence), and; from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary which in January 2017 considered whether the resources assigned to the investigation by the Home Office were being deployed in accordance with value for money principles.</p><p>On this basis, and given Operation Conifer is an operational matter for the local police force and it is for the locally elected Police and Crime Commissioner to hold their force to account, the Government does not consider there to be grounds for the Government to intervene to instigate an independent inquiry into Operation Conifer.</p><p>The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Wiltshire and Swindon wrote to Home Office Ministers on 17 October 2017 and 24 April 2018. A reply from the Minister for Countering Extremism was issued on the 15th December 2017. The PCC has not given the Home Office any indication that he may be prepared to reverse his decision not to conduct an inquiry into Operation Conifer.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford grouped question UIN HL10663 HL10664 HL10665 HL10666 question first answered 29/10/2018 17:26:26 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	4202 label Biography information for Lord Lexden