44 members of the House of Lords he asked us to write to including the Bishop of Peterborough and the Bishop of Liverpool. Lord Annan was the first listed so he may well be the one that got a letter from me.
Will have a read through later and scan or summarise anything of particular interest.
I was getting regular updates from the Caroline Movement at the time. Got an urgent letter from them about the amendment which was put in late so that MP's hadn't got much time to discuss it as it was going back to them IIRC a few days before the end of the House of Commons session.
They asked me to write to list of peers who were against this, perhaps also the spokespersons for each party in the House of Lords?
Hadn't got the time to write to all of them, wrote to one, maybe two. Got acknowlegment letters back, can't remember if it was Lord Annan that I wrote to.
That's a summary of the amendment. Offshore Radio Museum Radio Caroline in the 1980's history
"One particular clause, Clause 159, had been added to the Bill at a comparatively late stage in the procedure, on 9th May 1990, significantly amending the Marine etc. Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967 to allow the Royal Navy and the Army to board offshore radio ships and use "reasonable force" to make arrests and seize equipment. These provisions could be exercised beyond territorial limits and allowed the British Government to exercise its powers on a foreign registered ship in international waters - a hitherto unacceptable and illegal practice. Additionally those taking part in, or authorising, such a boarding were to be immune from prosecution or claims for damages."
Just found some full details on all this on Offshore Radio Museum. Part 7 on a special exhibition on the MOA:
http://www.offshoreradiomuseum.co.uk/page985.html
Can't remember the name of the Conservative Government politician who suddenly put this in, think it went went through the House of Common quickly. Date of the Lords debate was 5th June 1990, Broadcasting Bill, scroll back to the start of the link Freddie's link, reports and consultations started in 1986, the longest bill the Home Office has ever produced and the Conservative Government decided just before it went to the House of Lords for its second reading to put in this amendment hoping few would notice it.
On the back cover of Peter's book, he quotes from a speech from Lord Annan on the Broadcast bill 1990, here is a bit more & a link to the source:
I particularly dislike the extraordinary amendments to the marine broadcasting Act 1967 which are aimed at Radio Caroline. The amendments proposed will make it unlawful for any foreign ship on the high seas to broadcast to the United Kingdom. It will enable the police, the army, Customs officers and anyone who is authorised by the Secretary of State to board and search these foreign ships and to seize documents.
Is this not another example of the Government putting on their Clause 28 "bovver boots"? Exceptional cases such as highjacking or drugs could justify seizure or detention of a foreign vessel and confer immunity on the officers who boarded it. I realise that the Home Office regards Radio Caroline as a maddening wasp and is infuriated that its attempts over the years to swat it have failed. However, surely this station is not a wasp but a common or garden cabbage white. Why break a butterfly upon the wheel? Why run the risk of an embarrassing diplomatic confrontation? That could perfectly well happen if the vessel turned out to be under an American flag.
https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1990/jun/05/broadcasting-bill#S5LV0519P0_19900605_HOL_100
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