Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of whether the Government was involved in acts of rendition in Iraq from 2003 to 2009.
Answered by James Heappey
The UK Government does not participate in, solicit, encourage or condone unlawful killing, the use of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment (“CIDT”), or extraordinary rendition. In no circumstance will UK personnel be authorised to take action amounting to torture, unlawful killing, extraordinary rendition, or CIDT. UK military action is conducted in line with the UK’s Human Rights obligations and International Humanitarian Law.
The UK Government supports the rule of law, and opposes any form of unlawful deprivation of liberty that places a detained person outside the protection of the law, including so-called extraordinary rendition. Any request for the transit of foreign flights through the UK or overseas territories is considered on a case-by-case basis and are granted only when the purpose of the transit complies with international law.
There were two previously declared incidents relating to the US in 2002, where British Territory had been used for this purpose. The transition of two detainees through Diego Garcia was reported to Parliament by the then Foreign Secretary in February 2008. Since those events in 2002 the UK are not aware of any other instances of other countries holding or moving any detainees through the territorial land, air or seas of the UK or our overseas territories.
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.