DRAFT LETTER FOR TREAT OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE Thank you for your letter about the tragic events at Hillsborough in which you called for a reopening of the public enquiry. The Home Secretary has seen the television programme Hillsborough and found it deeply moving and harrowing. In the House of Commons he gave an undertaking to consider carefully the points which were raised in the programme and the representations which have been made to him by the bereaved families and by others. He has emphasised that he would not take the decision to reopen the inquiry lightly but would need to be convinced that it would be in the public interest to do so and that it would stand a chance of providing a better understanding than there is at present of what happened on that terrible day. In coming to his decision the Home Secretary will consider whether there is any new evidence; he will also consider whether that evidence appears to be of such significance that had it been put before Lord Taylor or before the coroner, either the outcome of the Taylor inquiry or the verdict of the jury would have been different. The Chief Constable of South Yorkshire has undertaken to provide the Home Secretary with a detailed report of all the points raised by the programme. The Home Secretary has promised that he will reach a decision on any further action to be taken as soon as he has been able to consider all the issues. He has emphasised that, whatever decision he comes to make, his thoughts will remain with all the bereaved families. 51 PiSf s*s|| r*^ S fIcdSflK-S.OVoR SlHtl8tiS§!lj|j| ;;;.><'« W, ^~mmm SUp* jjr f iMs, ,;5SSI llBi!||ip„ J hWi iiippj . .M i ^f^if ’ ■‘-'''■••'"'-'i^ !ff f'f-^pfiP M M M W M W j;:i»6stal=: Service; Reiurned Postal Packet Home O ttie e 50 f.!us>e.» Anne:-' LONDON U<n6 ©LOOPS'- SW.1H OAT .■ iisl Police Policy Directorate Home Office Operational Policing Policy Unit 50 Queen Anne's Gate London SW1H 9AT Telephone: 0171-273 4097 Fax: 0171-273 2703 PW/97 110/2180/1 10 January 1997 Dear Thank you for your letter about the tragic events\at Hillsborcmgh in which you called for a reopening of the publicNejiquiry. The Home Secretary has seen the television programme Hillsborough and found it deeply moving and harrowing. In the House of Commons he gave an undertaking to consider carefully the points which were raised in the programme and the representations which have been made to him by the bereaved families and by others. He has emphasised that he would not take the decision to reopen the inquiry lightly but would need to be convinced that it would be in the public interest to do so and that it would stand a chance of providing a better understanding than there is at present of what happened on that terrible day. In coming to his decision the Home Secretary will consider whether there is any new evidence; he will also consider whether that evidence appears to be of such significance that had it been put before Lord Taylor or before the coroner, either the outcome of the Taylor inquiry or the verdict of the jury would have been different. The Chief Constable of South Yorkshire has undertaken to provide the Home Secretary with a detailed report of all the points raised by the programme. The Home Secretary has promised that he will reach a decision on any further action to be taken as soon as he has been able to consider all the issues. He has emphasised that, whatever decision he comes to make, his thoughts will remain with all the bereaved families. Yours sincerely *v Mrs P Mehta lit- Town Hall • Corporation Street • St, Helens • Merseyside • WA10 Mrs. C. A. Hudson B.A., LP.F.A. Chief Executive Telephone (01744)456000 DX 19484 Faf" (0^74% 456889 Our Ref: CH/KF Your Ref : Mrs. Carole Hudson is dealing with this matter Direct line : 01744 456101 22 January 1997 The Rt. Hon. Michael Howard, Q.C., M.P., Secretary of State, Home Office, 50 Queen Anne's Gate, London, SW1H 9AT. Dear Minister, Re: Hillsborough Disaster St. Helens Council wishes to advise you of the following motion: - "That this Council, in the light of the fresh evidence that has emerged into the Hillsborough disaster, requests that the Attorney General orders the High Court, to consider quashing the inquest verdict of accidental death and to order a fresh inquest". Yours sincerely, Chief Executive. FLY LOCAL uverpool P airport plc Michael Howard M.P. Home Secretary 50QUEENEANNeSGATP] Houses of Parliament 12 NOV 1996 Westminster London DISTRIBUTION 6th December 1996 Dear Mr Howard, I write with reference to the recent documentary on the Hillsborough disaster and to express my concern at what appears to be the withholding of evidence, and collusion by senior officers serving with South Yorkshire Police at the time. I have attended football matches for some thirty years berth home and away and have been to Hillsborough several times to see my team, Newcastle United, play Sheffield Wednesday. On one particular occasion, many years prior to the disaster, we were subjected to exactly the same scenario as the Liverpool fans were on that fateful day, but were fortunate in that we managed to force open the side gates at the top of each pen and spill over into empty terracing reserved on either side for segregation purposes. Our screams for help were met with abuse from the police. Our fingers were hit with truncheons whilst trying to scale the fences to escape the crush. We were pushed back into the overcrowded pen just as we were about to escape it. In short, our lives were put at serious risk because of the, “They’re all animals”, attitude of South Yorkshire police. Several people of all ages and backgrounds were injured and complained bitterly, but were silenced by the threat of arrest for some invented, “Breach of the Public Order Act”. I am sure that, upon the realization that their detractors could be silenced, South Yorkshire Police became complacent and their standards continued to slip. Measures that were previously taken, such as putting up barriers and checking tickets on the way to the stadium, were slowly discontinued. These falling standards due to lack of accountability were, I believe, the major factors that led to so many wrong decisions being taken on that fateful day, and the fact that ,as yet, there has still been no- one held accountable, leaves open the possibility of a repeat disaster despite the recent improvements to stadia. How can any organization that pledges to take responsibility for the safety of the public, be allowed to shirk that responsibility when the going gets tough? Other incidents since Hillsborough, which I will gladly discuss, reinforce my view that there is still a lack of training given to police officers on the issue of crowd control. Training which I am sure would be forthcoming if every Chief Superintendent knew that they were going to be held accountable should they fail in their duties. I consider it imperative that the inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster be reopened, not as witch hunt of individuals, but to make accountable every organization which claims responsibility for public safety, be it the police, fire brigade, channel tunnel or whatever. I will gladly discuss these and many other points which time prevents me from adding at this time and implore you to consider the new evidence highlighted in the Hillsborough documentary. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and please do not hesitate to contact me at the above address. Yours sincerely, ceto: Neville Trotter M.P. David Mellor M.P. (BBC Radio 5 606) Hillsborough Action Group ;ember 1996 Michael Howard MP Home Secretary Houses of Parliament LONDON j Dear Mr Howard On the 15th of April 1989 I celebrated my daughters 18th birthday. Next April she will be celebrating her 26th birthday and has the rest of her life before her, not an option for the victims of Hillsborough. Victims being the operative word, victims of a series of fatal mistakes and errors of judgement, but, most of all, victims of injustice. “Let them rest” has been the response of some of the media to the Granada documentary, to further quote, “Yorkshire Police with convenient early retirements and compensation payments for trauma” may be able to rest, but for the bereaved families until justice has been seen to be done there can be no rest. As a parent and member of the public, who is losing faith in the justice system of this country, I implore you to restore the faith of the electorate in the justice system and reopen the enquiry into the Hillsborough disaster. 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