Jack Straw yesterday night declined a request to give evidence to a US Senate committee hearing on the release of the Lockerbie bomber.

The former justice secretary said he could not help the inquiry because he had "absolutely nothing to do" with the decision to free Abdelbaset al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds last August.

The refusal came after Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill confirmed he would also not be testifying as he had "no information to provide" on alleged lobbying by BP to secure an oil deal with Libya.

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