1st special report session 2003-04 implications of the work of the House and its committees of the Governments lack of co-operation with the Foreign Affairs Committees inquiry into the decision to go to war in Iraq

House of Commons papers 2003-04 440

Corporate Author:

Great Britain Parliament House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee

Author:

Anderson Donald chairman

Publisher:

TSO (The Stationery Office)

Price: £4.50

In its inquiry into the Government's decision to go to war in Iraq (HCP 813-I, session 2002-03; ISBN 0215011627), the Foreign Affairs Committee noted its concern over the lack of co-operation it had received from the Government in terms of access to witnesses and to intelligence material. In this report, the Committee goes on to compare this treatment given to a select committee of the House of Commons with the level of co-operation given by the Government to the inquiry carried out by the Intelligence and Security Committee (a statutory body which reports to the Prime Minister) and with Lord Hutton's Inquiry. In the light of these experiences, the Committee concludes that the scrutiny powers of House select committees to "send for persons, papers and records" are, in practice, unenforceable in relation to the Executive, and calls for the House of Commons to consider what procedures should be established to deal with this problem. It also raises questions about the status of the Intelligence and Security Committee, and its relations with House select committees.

Extent	9p.	ISBN	9780215016201
Size	N/A	Price	£4.50
Format	Paperback	Published	18 Mar 2004
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