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Business of the House

A few moments ago, the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome (Mr. Heath) asked whether we could have a debate on extraordinary rendition. What we got from the Leader of the House was astonishing complacency. He said that all the questions on that matter had been ““satisfactorily dealt with””. What we are talking about is people being kidnapped around the world and transported to countries that practise torture. Some of those people have subsequently been released, and they have described the horrific torture to which they have been subjected. Condoleezza Rice’s assurances on this matter have been shown to be completely hollow by the legal community in the UK. The Foreign Secretary has given assurances that he has been looking at records and cannot find anything. Of course he cannot find anything; the Home Secretary told me in answer to a parliamentary question that records are not kept once a transit has been completed. No wonder there are no records; they are not kept. Surely it is time for the Leader of the House to find Government time for a debate on this issue, on which there is now widespread public disquiet.