Letter to the Chairman from the Secretary
of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Foreign and Commonwealth
Office
BINYAM MOHAMED
AND OTHER
TOPICS: REQUEST
TO GIVE
ORAL EVIDENCE
Thank you for your letter of 13 February 2009
and your invitation to give evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee
on the case of Binyam Mohamed and a number of other issues.
I would be happy to give evidence to you and
your colleagues in the context of your consideration of the FCO's
Annual Human Rights Report 2008. As you know, this evidence session
would normally be taken by one of my ministerial team, but in
view of the significance of the issues to be covered we have agreed
that I will attend this year. This session will provide an opportunity
to discuss the issues you identify as well as others arising from
the Report. I do not consider that a separate session will be
necessary.
You will be aware that there will be limits
to the information I will be able to put into the public domain.
This is particularly the case with regard to those issues touching
on the work of the intelligence and security agencies. To put
it simply, I will not be able to answer questions that enter into
operational detail. The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC)
remains the appropriate body to provide Parliamentary scrutiny
of issues in relation to those bodies.
Accordingly, to avoid my being unable to answer
some of your Committee's questions, I suggest that my officials
hold a preparatory discussion with your Committee's secretariat
to ensure that we have an agreed understanding as to the areas
I will be able to cover in the session. If you agree that this
would be helpful, I will ask my officials to organise a suitable
date.
I look forward to attending your meeting and
answering your questions.
Rt Hon David Miliband MP
26 February 2009
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