FOREIGN SECRETARY ACCEPTS RULING ON BIOT CASE

Following the Judgement in the BIOT Case on 3 November, Foreign Secretary Robin Cook issued the following statement:

'I have decided to accept the Court’s ruling and the Government will not be appealing.

'The work we are doing on the feasibility of resettling the Ilois now takes on a new importance. We started the feasibility work a year ago and are now well underway with phase two of the study.

'Furthermore, we will put in place a new Immigration Ordinance which will allow the Ilois to return to the outer islands while observing our Treaty obligations.

'This Government has not defended what was done or said thirty years ago. As Lord Justice Laws recognised, we made no attempt to conceal the gravity of what happened. I am pleased that he has commended the wholly admirable conduct in disclosing material to the Court and praised the openness of today’s Foreign Office.'

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