THE Government has not ruled out asking the Indian authorities to "pardon" jailed charity worker Ian Stillman, it has emerged.

Foreign Officer Minister Baroness Amos said a request for a pardon, or a plea for clemency, could be made as a "last resort".

But she said Ministers were currently unable to act on Mr Stillman's behalf as they were awaiting instructions from his family.

Baroness Amos spoke out after coming under pressure over the Government's handling of Mr Stillman's case in the House of Lords last night.

The aid worker, who is profoundly deaf and has only one leg and chronic diabetes, was convicted of possession of 20kg of cannabis in 2000.

But serious doubts have been cast on the validity of the trial - which was carried out in Hindi with no translation facilities.

The organisation Fair Trials Abroad, which is representing Mr Stillman, said it was the "worst miscarriage of justice" it has ever seen.

Labour Peer Lord Ashley, who is supporting the campaign to free Mr Stillman, urged Baroness Amos to make "vigorous, urgent and determined action" on his behalf.

He said the Government should be making top-level representation "not only on his prison conditions, but on his conviction."

The Government had previously been reluctant to intervene in the case, as it does not like to interfere in the legal process of other countries.

But that process came to an end when Mr Stillman's final appeal to the Indian Supreme Court was rejected earlier this month.

Lord Ashley said there was now no reason why the Government should not step up its efforts on Mr Stillman's behalf.

Baroness Amos replied that it was possible for the Government to seek clemency or a pardon - but this could not be done until Mr Stillman's family had confirmed what steps it wished to take next.

The Government, she said, had offered to provide a lawyer to the Stillman family and was awaiting a response.

She said: "We support pleas for clemency and on pardons on a case-by-case basis if there is a prima facie evidence of a miscarriage of justice.

"We also support pleas on health grounds if a prisoner is chronically ill or where continued incarceration would endanger or reduce life expectancy.

"But in order to do that we need a decision from the family and from the individual."

Updated: 11:56 Wednesday, May 22, 2002