3. Question No. 3—JusticeHon MARK MITCHELL (National—Rodney) to the Minister of JusticeQuestion No. 3—Justice3. Hon MARK MITCHELL (National—Rodney) to the Minister of Justice: Does he stand by all his answers given to Oral Question No. 2 yesterday?Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Justice): Yes.Hon Mark Mitchell: Was there an extradition request made by Czech Republic officials concerning Karel Sroubek?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: No.Hon Mark Mitchell: Why did the Parole Board say We are … aware from the papers on the Board file that there is a current application for extradition to the Czech Republic for outstanding criminal proceedings against him"?SPEAKER: Before the Minister answers the question I just want to test the responsibility of this Minister whether it is this Minister who is responsible for the Parole Board?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: Yes.SPEAKER: It is? The Minister will answer the question—I thought it was the Minister of Corrections.Hon ANDREW LITTLE: Parole boards are judicial or quasi-judicial bodies. The chair of the particular parole board that he is referring to is a District Court judge and it is not for me to account for what information a chair of a parole board or an entire parole board had available to them. The fact of the matter is there has been no extradition request from the Czech Republic to New Zealand in relation to Mr Sroubek.Hon Mark Mitchell: In light of that answer where would the Parole Board have received a report from saying that there was an extradition request from the Czech Republic?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: It's impossible for me to answer that question; I have nothing to do with the operations of the Parole Board.Hon Mark Mitchell: Has the Minister since question time yesterday gone back to his officials and asked for more information around the case involving Karel Sroubek and engagement with the Ministry of Justice?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I have said to my officials explicitly that I do not want any information in relation to Mr Sroubek because the Czech Republic in 2015 indicated that they may be interested in making an extradition request in relation to Mr Sroubek. They have not yet done so they may well do so and because it is a matter that eventually I may be seized of it is entirely inappropriate for me to do anything that might contaminate any future decision I'm called upon to make.Hon Mark Mitchell: So in light of the Minister's responses today is he asserting that the Parole Board is making decisions based on flawed information?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: It is not for me to explain the decisions of the Parole Board; they stand on their own merits. As the Minister of Justice responsible for the Extradition Act I take a close interest in what happens under that Act. The starting point of anything under that Act is a request by another nation to this country for extradition—that has not happened in relation to Mr Sroubek.Hon Mark Mitchell: So when the Minister told us yesterday there had been contact between the Czech Republic and New Zealand Ministry of Justice officials in 2015 what was the nature of the information exchanged?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: Well that member might be better to ask the former Minister of Justice the Hon Amy Adams. What I have been advised is that the Czech Republic made contact with New Zealand authorities and expressed an interest in Mr Sroubek in relation to extradition and that was it."