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| Version 7 | Version 8 |
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| 'No double dealing' over Megrahi | 'No double dealing' over Megrahi |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has confirmed the government did not want to see Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi die in a Scottish prison. | |
| But he insisted there was no "double dealing" and "no pressure" had been placed on the Scottish government ahead of its decision to release Megrahi. | But he insisted there was no "double dealing" and "no pressure" had been placed on the Scottish government ahead of its decision to release Megrahi. |
| Mr Miliband also told the BBC the UK had "never expressed a different view" to the US over the issue. | Mr Miliband also told the BBC the UK had "never expressed a different view" to the US over the issue. |
| Tory leader David Cameron has said ministers must be "straight". | Tory leader David Cameron has said ministers must be "straight". |
| Megrahi was freed earlier this month, eight years into a life sentence imposed for his part in the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie in December 1988, killing 270 people. | |
| The decision, by the Scottish government, was made on compassionate grounds, as Megrahi has terminal cancer. | |
| 'Explained clearly' | 'Explained clearly' |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown is facing further questions over the UK government's role in the bomber's release after new details about discussions emerged. | |
| Former Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell has confirmed he told Libya Mr Brown did not want to see Megrahi die in prison. | |
| However, he denied having discussed this with the prime minister himself. | However, he denied having discussed this with the prime minister himself. |
| Mr Brown has so far declined to comment on the documents released on Tuesday, but is expected to do so when he undertakes his first post-holiday public event later on Wednesday. | Mr Brown has so far declined to comment on the documents released on Tuesday, but is expected to do so when he undertakes his first post-holiday public event later on Wednesday. |
| Mr Miliband told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there had been no "double dealing". | Mr Miliband told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there had been no "double dealing". |
| He also said: "We did not want him to die in prison. No, we weren't seeking his death in prison. We have been absolutely clear." | He also said: "We did not want him to die in prison. No, we weren't seeking his death in prison. We have been absolutely clear." |
| Questioned about Mr Rammell's comments, he added: "He was asked by the Libyans whether or not we wanted Megrahi to die in jail. | Questioned about Mr Rammell's comments, he added: "He was asked by the Libyans whether or not we wanted Megrahi to die in jail. |
| "He said we weren't actively seeking his death in jail, and he explained very clearly that under our constitution this was a matter of Scottish law, and a matter for the Scottish government." | "He said we weren't actively seeking his death in jail, and he explained very clearly that under our constitution this was a matter of Scottish law, and a matter for the Scottish government." |
| 'Misjudgement' | |
| Conservative leader David Cameron said ministers should have said it was a matter for the Scottish government and kept to the "clear view" there was "simply not room for movement" on Megrahi's release. | Conservative leader David Cameron said ministers should have said it was a matter for the Scottish government and kept to the "clear view" there was "simply not room for movement" on Megrahi's release. |
| He told the BBC it had been a "misjudgement" to "treat in any way with the Libyans about the future of Mr Megrahi". | He told the BBC it had been a "misjudgement" to "treat in any way with the Libyans about the future of Mr Megrahi". |
| "This man was convicted of the largest mass murder in British history and if the conviction is in some way unsafe that should be appealed and reviewed but he was convicted of that and they shouldn't have been treating with the Libyans on that basis." | "This man was convicted of the largest mass murder in British history and if the conviction is in some way unsafe that should be appealed and reviewed but he was convicted of that and they shouldn't have been treating with the Libyans on that basis." |
| He said the government appeared to have shown the Libyans a "bit of light" and given them the impression the release of Megrahi was something there "could be movement on". | He said the government appeared to have shown the Libyans a "bit of light" and given them the impression the release of Megrahi was something there "could be movement on". |
| Asked what he would have done in the same situation, Mr Cameron said when dealing with other countries, Britain had to have "some very clear red lines, to have some lines beyond which you will not go". | Asked what he would have done in the same situation, Mr Cameron said when dealing with other countries, Britain had to have "some very clear red lines, to have some lines beyond which you will not go". |
| Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said Mr Brown could remain silent for "not a minute longer". | Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said Mr Brown could remain silent for "not a minute longer". |
| He said: "He really needs, for his own good, to come clean about what he knew and didn't know." | He said: "He really needs, for his own good, to come clean about what he knew and didn't know." |
| Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill allowed Megrahi to be freed from Greenock Prison on 20 August on compassionate grounds after rejecting his return to Libya under a prisoner transfer agreement. | |
| Mr Brown and other UK ministers have declined to say whether they supported freeing Megrahi, stressing it was a decision for the Scottish government. | Mr Brown and other UK ministers have declined to say whether they supported freeing Megrahi, stressing it was a decision for the Scottish government. |
| I am unjustly convicted of a most heinous crime Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=6942&edition=1&ttl=20090901152103">Your views on the controversy class="" href="/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8232595.stm">Bomber was 'exemplary' prisoner class="" href="/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8232423.stm">Read the Lockerbie files | |
| Mr MacAskill is due to defend his decision again in a Scottish Parliamentary debate later, during which the opposition parties are expected to unite to defeat the minority SNP government on the issue. | Mr MacAskill is due to defend his decision again in a Scottish Parliamentary debate later, during which the opposition parties are expected to unite to defeat the minority SNP government on the issue. |
| Among the documents released was a Libyan version of an exchange with Mr Rammell in February during which, it is claimed, he said Mr Brown and the foreign secretary did not want the Lockerbie bomber to die in a Scottish prison. | Among the documents released was a Libyan version of an exchange with Mr Rammell in February during which, it is claimed, he said Mr Brown and the foreign secretary did not want the Lockerbie bomber to die in a Scottish prison. |
| Mr Rammell, now armed forces minister, later insisted he made it clear to the Libyans during his visit to Tripoli that any decision on Megrahi had to come from Scottish ministers. | Mr Rammell, now armed forces minister, later insisted he made it clear to the Libyans during his visit to Tripoli that any decision on Megrahi had to come from Scottish ministers. |
| Records of a meeting between Libyan Europe minister Abdulati Alobidi and Scottish officials on 12 March said: "Mr Alobidi spoke of Mr Bill Rammell's visit to Tripoli in February and that they had discussed the matter of the prisoner transfer agreement. | Records of a meeting between Libyan Europe minister Abdulati Alobidi and Scottish officials on 12 March said: "Mr Alobidi spoke of Mr Bill Rammell's visit to Tripoli in February and that they had discussed the matter of the prisoner transfer agreement. |
| "Mr Alobidi confirmed that he had reiterated to Mr Rammell that the death of Mr Megrahi in a Scottish prison would have catastrophic effects for the relationship between Libya and the UK. | "Mr Alobidi confirmed that he had reiterated to Mr Rammell that the death of Mr Megrahi in a Scottish prison would have catastrophic effects for the relationship between Libya and the UK. |
| "Mr Alobidi went on to say that Mr Rammell had stated that neither the prime minister not the foreign secretary would want Mr Megrahi to pass away in prison but the decision on transfer lies in the hands of the Scottish ministers." | "Mr Alobidi went on to say that Mr Rammell had stated that neither the prime minister not the foreign secretary would want Mr Megrahi to pass away in prison but the decision on transfer lies in the hands of the Scottish ministers." |
| 'Important partner' | 'Important partner' |
| When asked by the BBC if Mr Brown had told him that he did not want Megrahi to die in a Scottish prison, Mr Rammell replied: "No, I've not discussed this with the prime minister either before the event or after. | When asked by the BBC if Mr Brown had told him that he did not want Megrahi to die in a Scottish prison, Mr Rammell replied: "No, I've not discussed this with the prime minister either before the event or after. |
| "I was responding to a specific concern that the Libyans put to me that they didn't wish Al Megrahi to die in prison. | "I was responding to a specific concern that the Libyans put to me that they didn't wish Al Megrahi to die in prison. |
| "In response to that in a conversation with my counterpart, I made clear that we were not actively seeking his death in prison but we emphatically, and this is what I said to him at the time, we emphatically would not intervene and it was a matter for Scottish ministers." | "In response to that in a conversation with my counterpart, I made clear that we were not actively seeking his death in prison but we emphatically, and this is what I said to him at the time, we emphatically would not intervene and it was a matter for Scottish ministers." |
| Other letters made public by the UK and Scottish governments on Tuesday reveal UK Justice Secretary Jack Straw changed his mind about excluding the Lockerbie bomber from a proposed prisoner transfer agreement with Libya. | Other letters made public by the UK and Scottish governments on Tuesday reveal UK Justice Secretary Jack Straw changed his mind about excluding the Lockerbie bomber from a proposed prisoner transfer agreement with Libya. |
| In a letter to Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, on 11 February 2008, Mr Straw said Libya had become an "important partner in the fight against terrorism" and was helping to counter illegal immigration. | In a letter to Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, on 11 February 2008, Mr Straw said Libya had become an "important partner in the fight against terrorism" and was helping to counter illegal immigration. |