Terrorist training in Sussex

This weekend the police are reportedly crawling over a 54 acre boarding school estate in Crowborough in Sussex. The following is a quote from the Hansard record, linked here, of a House of Commons debate in 1999: Quote Mr. Donald Anderson (Swansea, East): The whole House will welcome the two specific initiatives taken by my right hon. Friend on the tourist industry and travel information and on the advice about dealing with

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hostage-takers. As he said, it is of paramount importance that we have the closest possible co-operation with the Yemeni Government. Will he confirm that the Yemeni Government are now allowing the Metropolitan police officers to interview those hostage-takers who are in detention? What is his response to the reports in the British press at the weekend that over Christmas a camp was held in north London at which individuals were given military training that might be relevant to taking extremism and terrorism into areas such as the Yemen?

Mr. Cook: The Metropolitan police officers in the Yemen have not had access to the suspects currently under detention there. The issue is not clear cut and it is by no means clear that, if the roles were reversed and the police officers of a third country came to Britain to interview suspects whom we were holding under charges, we would necessarily grant such access to the investigating authorities of another power. Still, the Yemeni authorities have co-operated fully in passing to our police officers the results of the interrogation and also other parts of their investigation. At present, we are satisfied with the level of co-operation and I have pressed the Prime Minister of Yemen that we should maintain the fullest co-operation.

I have seen the reports about a training camp. The camp referred to was in north Wales, I think, rather than in north London--

Mr. Anderson: Finsbury Park.

Mr. Cook: There were also reports of one in Crowborough. There have been investigations into the matter. The training provided purports to be survival training and also martial arts. We have not established that there was any breach of British law during such training. However, we will watch closely to ensure that, if any offence is committed under the provisions of the Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Act 1998 that prevent conspiracy to commit terrorism abroad, the Act is properly enforced.

Unquote It seems this was just one more promise the government has failed to keep - seven and a half years have elapsed since that exchange from which it was clear the Yemeni Government had provided valuable background on terrorist training in Sussex.