Sir Menzies Campbell calls for Blair statement on extraordinary rendition

5.00.00pm GMT Thu 19th Jan 2006

Menzies Campbell - Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats

Sir Menzies Campbell MP, Liberal Democrat Acting Leader, has today written to the Prime Minister calling on him to make a statement to the House of Commons clarifying what the Government knew about the CIA's extraordinary rendition operations.

Sir Menzies' letter follows reports of a leaked memo from the Foreign Office which advises the Prime Minister to 'avoid being drawn on the detail' on the issue, and reveals UK suspicions of US involvement in cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

Sir Menzies writes:

"It appears that you were advised by the Foreign Office to "avoid getting drawn on detail" and to "try to move the debate on". Did you follow this advice and if you did, do you believe that it is the appropriate way of handling a matter which concerns the violation of fundamental human rights?

"On 7th December you told the House of Commons that you "fully endorsed" the statement of US Secretary of State Rice on rendition. Yet, according to the letter, the Foreign Office believed her statement may have deliberately focused on torture because the prohibition on transfers in the Convention Against Torture did not apply to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Were you prepared to endorse a statement which may have been carefully crafted so as to allow for the infliction of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment?

Can you also explain why Foreign Office Ministers have denied receiving any requests for the use of UK territory or airspace for extraordinary rendition, when the letter expressly says the government "cannot now say this"?

In light of the gravity of these concerns, do you agree that it is now clearly in the interests of the public and Parliament that there should be a full statement by you on these matters in the House of Commons?