NatWest 3 - Ming Campbell questions the Prime Minister

9.46.00pm GMT Wed 1st Mar 2006

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, to which one South Wraxall man is currently being subjected alongside his former NatWest colleagues.

Asking the questions: Sir Ming Campbell QC MP

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.