THE House of Lords was today due to discuss the plight of jailed deaf charity worker Ian Stillman.

Labour peer Lord Ashley, who has backed the campaign to free Mr Stillman from an Indian prison, has tabled an oral question which will be answered by Ministers tonight.

Lord Ashley wants to know "what representations have been made to the Indian authorities about the alleged miscarriage of justice in the case of Ian Stillman".

The peer, the patron of a number of deaf charities, believes the Foreign Office has no excuse not to place pressure on the Indian authorities on behalf of Mr Stillman.

He said: "The Government should no longer delay."

Foreign Office Ministers have been reluctant to interfere in the legal process of another country - stating it is against international law.

But Lord Ashley said the rejection of Mr Stillman's appeal to the Indian supreme court meant that process was now at an end. He said that - under the Foreign Office's own rules - officials were now free to make representations on his behalf.

Lord Ashley, who became involved in the case after being contacted by Mr Stillman's family, is concerned the Indian authorities have disputed the fact he is profoundly deaf.

Lord Ashley said Mr Stillman having to follow his trial using only lip reading was "totally inadequate" and had effectively "excluded" him from the judicial process. He added: "I cannot see that justice is served by that decision. It is not a matter for lawyers or police to decide whether a man is deaf or not. It is a medical decision."

Meanwhile, the Free Ian Stillman campaign to free Mr Stillman will be taken on to the streets of Kirkbymoorside tomorrow.

Kirkbymoorside's branch of Amnesty International will be asking market day shoppers to sign the Evening Press petition urging the Indian Government to free him.

Updated: 11:12 Tuesday, May 21, 2002