Asked by: Lord Tyrie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Diego Garcia flight records that were granted by EuroControl in June 2014, and withheld by his Department, have been shared with any other Government Departments or with any parliamentary committees.
Answered by Alan Duncan
EuroControl, the European organisation for the safety of Air Navigation, sent flight plan information to the Department for Transport in June 2014. This was subsequently shared with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Asked by: Lord Tyrie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has assessed the content of Diego Garcia flight records that were granted by EuroControl in June 2014 to determine whether they contain information relating to extraordinary rendition.
Answered by Alan Duncan
Certain flight plan information relating to the operation of aircraft into Diego Garcia between 1 September 2001 and 31 December 2008 was sent to the Department for Transport by Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, in June 2014.
The information provided was limited to the call sign, registration and type of aircraft involved, the airport (including time and date) of departure, time and date of arrival in Diego Garcia, aircraft operator, operator code and entry time into Eurocontrol's route charges system. All of the data provided related to flights inbound to Diego Garcia. No information was given concerning passengers carried, if any. The vast majority of the entries related to military type aircraft.
Asked by: Lord Tyrie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reasons the Secret Intelligence Service did not seek assurances on Michael Adebolajo's treatment while in detention from the Kenyan authorities on the day it was notified of his arrest.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) arranged a meeting with a senior Kenyan police officer after being notified of Adebolajo’s arrest, as reported in paragraph 62 on page 28 of the Intelligence and Security Committee’s open report. During this meeting SIS asked for assurances about Adebolajo’s treatment whilst in detention. The Kenyan police gave general assurances as to his treatment. It has been a longstanding policy of successive governments not to comment in detail on matters of intelligence operations.Asked by: Lord Tyrie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what training his Department has provided to members of the intelligence and security agencies on the Consolidated Guidance to Intelligence Officers and Service Personnel; and if he will make the contents of that training publicly available insofar as is consistent with national security.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We do not comment on the training of Security and Intelligence Agency Officers.Asked by: Lord Tyrie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the intelligence and security agencies have taken to improve their record keeping since the publication of the Intelligence and Security Committee Report on the intelligence relating to the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Security and Intelligence Agencies are continually reviewing their record-keeping processes to ensure that they meet the developing challenges of the digital age. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) committed to publishing a full response to the Intelligence and Security Committee's recommendations, including record keeping, in the New Year.Asked by: Lord Tyrie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how his Department monitors the compliance of the intelligence and security agencies with the Consolidated Guidance to Intelligence Officers and Service Personnel.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Compliance with the Consolidated Guidance is monitored by the Intelligence Services Commissioner, a former high court judge who has independent judicial oversight of the conduct of the Intelligence Agencies. On November 27 the Prime Minister, my right hon Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) gave direction under section 59A of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 placing the Commissioner’s work on a statutory footing. The Intelligence Services Commissioner reports annually to the Prime Minister and publishes a public report.
Asked by: Lord Tyrie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, by what process improvements in the intelligence and security agencies' record keeping is monitored and evaluated by the Intelligence and Security Committee.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Security and Intelligence Agencies are continually reviewing their record-keeping processes to ensure that they meet the developing challenges of the digital age. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) committed to publishing a full response to the Intelligence and Security Committee’s recommendations in the New Year (Hansard 25 Nov 2014 Col 751), including those recommendations related to record-keeping.
Asked by: Lord Tyrie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has provided training to members of the intelligence and security agencies on investigating allegations of mistreatment of detainees.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
I refer my honourable friend to the answer given on 12 January in PQ219956.
Asked by: Lord Tyrie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what protocol the intelligence and security agencies follow to investigate allegations of mistreatment of detainees held abroad in foreign custody.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The protocol the intelligence and security agencies follow to investigate allegations of mistreatment of detainees held abroad in foreign custody are set out in the Consolidated Guidance to Intelligence Officers and Service Personnel on the Detention and Interviewing of Detainees Overseas, and on the Passing and Receipt of Intelligence Related to Detainees.
Asked by: Lord Tyrie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government took to strengthen formal oversight of US use of Diego Garcia after the disclosure in 2008 that two US rendition flights had refuelled there in 2002.
Answered by David Lidington
My honourable friend refers to the US Government’s disclosure in 2008 that, contrary to earlier assurances, two flights carrying a detainee landed and refuelled on Diego Garcia in 2002. Following this disclosure, the US Government assured Her Majesty’s Government that these had been the only two cases and that there would be no future transfer of detainees through the UK, its airspace or Overseas Territories without express permission; and stated that, should there be any doubt as to whether any operation falls outside the Exchange of Notes that govern the use of Diego Garcia, the US Government would consult the UK Government. Since that time, Her Majesty’s Government has sought regular reassurance from the US Government, including by means of annual political-military talks between senior officials, that all previous assurances on transfer of detainees provided by the US Government since 2008 remain valid and correct. In addition, the Officer in Charge of the United Kingdom Service elements in Diego Garcia, a senior Naval Officer, is routinely informed of all ship and aircraft movements.