Letter to Alan Beith MP, Chair, Constitutional
Affairs Committee from the Chairman of the Committee, 13 December
2004
GUANTANAMO BAY
Further to our conversation last week about
Guantanamo Bay, I enclose some extracts from recent Reports of
the Foreign Affairs Committee and from the Government's Responses
thereto which I believe illustrate the extent to which the FAC
has been exercising oversight of this issue, and which clearly
demonstrate where departmental (and therefore select committee)
responsibility lies. FAC has also received a series of classified
written briefings as part of its scrutiny of Guantanamo Bay.
I had hoped to be able to send you today a copy
of a recently received unclassified but confidential FCO memorandum
on Guantanamo Bay, but as yet it has not been possible to secure
FCO agreement to this. As soon as such agreement has been secured,
I will ask the Clerk of FAC to forward the paper to your Committee's
Clerk. Meanwhile, you may assure your colleagues that the FAC
remains fully engaged on this issue and that it is likely to be
raised at its evidence session with FCO Minister Bill Rammell
on 11 January.
Rt Hon Donald Anderson MP
Chairman of the Committee
13 December 2004
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