Proceeding contribution from Chris Bryant (Labour) in the House of Commons on Thursday, 18 March 2010. It occurred during Debate on Intelligence and Security Committee.
Intelligence and Security Committee
I realise that; I was going to come to that point. Specifically in relation to Diego Garcia, our relationship with the security services of the United States of America is quantitatively and qualitatively different from our relationship with some other security services. I would say the same of Australia and Canada, for instance. That is an important element of how we need to be able to proceed, given the extensive daily, if not hourly, exchange of information between those security services. That is why many people were particularly sad about how the process rolled out in relation to Diego Garcia. The right hon. and learned Gentleman is absolutely right that there are many other security services with which we do business that do not subscribe to the same values as we do. We have to be absolutely clear that we do not just ask somebody in a casual way, "By the way, have you tortured this person?" We must ask good questions and engage in proper investigation as to the nature of the methods by which information was obtained. The right hon. and learned Gentleman is right that the guidelines have to be published, and we want to do that as swiftly as possible. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary referred to the fact that we hope there can be further meetings in the very near future, and we therefore hope to be able to publish the consolidated guidance alongside the report. The right hon. Member for East Hampshire was absolutely right about what would have to be published at the same time, and that will be done as soon as possible. The right hon. and learned Member for Kensington and Chelsea also referred to whether the Committee is independent. Of course it needs to be independent but, as I have said, it needs to have the trust and confidence to report directly to the Prime Minister. My hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay) referred at one point to people getting in a white van, including all the members of the ISC. I believe that at the time he was referring to, my right hon. Friend the Member for Torfaen was the Committee's Chairman, so I am not sure whether the white van had "Murphy's" written on the side of it. My hon. Friend got rather overexcited at one point, and I was worried about whether the white van was going to turn up again. My hon. Friend has heard what I have said about hearings in public. There is substantial—[Interruption.] If he talks while I am talking, I cannot hear him. I hope he accepts that there is substantial agreement between us on that issue. He sometimes inclines towards conspiracy theory about—
Secondary information
- Type
- Proceeding contribution
- Reference
- 507 c1071-2
- Session
- 2009-10
- Chamber / Committee
- House of Commons chamber
- Subjects
- Accountability Administration Finance Intelligence services Intelligence and Security Committee National security Parliamentary scrutiny Location Terrorism Select committees Torture Rendition Diego Garcia Espionage
- Link
- View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk
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