UK ministers will announce later this week their long-awaited decision on whether or not they will establish a judge-led inquiry to investigate British involvement in the “extraordinary rendition” of terror suspects for questioning by US security services.
In response to an Urgent Question in the Commons, David Lidington told MPs the Government would make a “definitive statement,” setting out its decision about a judge-led inquiry into the matter.
And he explained it would also outline its response to a consultation by Sir Adrian Fulford, the Investigatory Powers Commissioner, launched by the Prime Minister in June 2018, to make proposals to the Government about how its guidance on detainees overseas could be improved.
Last week, a report from The Rendition Project of academics and writers about the CIA’s network of so-called “black sites,” claimed Glasgow Airport was used in the rendition of a man who was allegedly tortured in Egypt, which led to false information that helped build the case for the Iraq War.
Other airports, including Prestwick, Inverness and Aberdeen, are also said to have been involved in rendition, dubbed “torture flights”.
In March, it was suggested Scottish detectives investigating the use of these airports for rendition filed their final report to prosecutors more than five years after their investigations began.
The rendition issue was raised by Ken Clarke, the former Home Secretary and Father of the Commons, who asked Theresa May to "make good on her Government's commitment, made over a year ago, to bring to the House within 60 days its view on reinstating the judge-led inquiry into detainee mistreatment and rendition that the former Government promised in 2012".
He urged the Prime Minister not to "bury the issue" by trying to get it out just before the summer recess to avoid full scrutiny.
“We need to know how there was such a terrible breakdown in responsibility and communications to produce the misdeeds that took place in the time after 9/11, so that we can avoid the culture of the intelligence services and their relationships with ministers ever slipping back into the same thing again," declared Mr Clarke.
Mr Lidington explained how it had been "complex work which has involved some of the most sensitive security issues".
He told MPs: "Far from there being any attempt on behalf of the Government to slip things out under the radar as the summer recess approaches, the Prime Minister has been very clear that she regards it as her responsibility to ensure that the decision is taken and announced to Parliament before she leaves office.
"Because it would be quite understandable if a new prime minister on taking up the office would want to look again, acquaint himself, with the material that was coming to the present prime minister.
"This decision and the timing of it is actually designed to ensure that we don't slip anything out under the radar," he added.
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