COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY ON IRAQ

Early day motion 1701, tabled 18 June 2009 by Dai Davies (Independent). Signed by 38 members.

That this House rejects the justifications provided during the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 15 June 2009 on the establishment of a Committee of Inquiry into the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath for holding the inquiry in secret; recalls that the Prime Minister told the House in his earlier statement on 10 June 2009 on constitutional renewal that he believes `that we should do more to spread the culture and practice of freedom of information'; records disappointment that this apparent commitment to more openness lasted less than a week; believes that the general public, including the millions of citizens who marched and demonstrated against the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and many families of servicemen and women who lost their lives during the invasion of, and subsequent occupation of Iraq, will not find it acceptable to hold the inquiry in secret, and would want to be able to attend hearings as in the Hutton Inquiry and the Scott Inquiry; notes for example that John Miller whose son Simon was killed in Iraq in 2003, has said private hearings would be marred by `lies and deceit'; and therefore calls on the Prime Minister to scrap the announced arrangements for the Committee of Inquiry into the Invasion of Iraq forthwith and as a democratic and transparent alternative to consult with a wide range of interested parties including backbench hon. and right hon. Members, the Stop the War Coalition and Military Families Against the War, to ascertain what they believe would be a just inquiry.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 17, Labour 12, Independent 3, Plaid Cymru 2, Conservative 1, Respect 1, Scottish National Party 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.