Gordon Brown lays responsibility for Lockerbie probe at door of Scottish Parliament

Published on Wednesday 28 October 2009 13:33

GORDON BROWN today spoke of the "hurt" caused by the release of the Lockerbie bomber to the relatives of those who died in the atrocity.

The Prime Minister said the disaster "must never be forgotten" and emphasised that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi was still a "convicted terrorist".

Earlier this week, the police investigation into Lockerbie was reopened.

At Commons question time, Tory Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury and Atcham) said the Government had the power to instigate an inquiry into the bombing.

"Why are you refusing to take these powers and yet again outsource responsibility to the Scottish Parliament?"

Mr Brown said: "This terrible crime in Lockerbie will never be forgotten.

"And even many years on, we must remember the hurt that has been caused to the relatives of those people who lost their lives in Lockerbie as a result of what happened over the summer."

He added: "I do want to emphasise that Megrahi is still in the eyes of the law a convicted terrorist of the criminal act he was engaged in.

"It is for the Scottish authorities to pursue any new leads that exist; they are the authority in which this jurisdiction lies."