Charles Kennedy

Liberal Democrats | Ross Skye & Lochaber

Charles Kennedy Calls For An Investigation Into Rendition Flights

At Prime Minister’s Questions Charles Kennedy challenged the Prime Minister to hold an enquiry into rendition flights.

Mr Kennedy told the Prime Minister that “there are full enquiries now taking place in Italy, in Spain, in Germany and in Canada” adding "our country, therefore, surely is under a legal and a moral obligation to investigate why flights are being allowed to pass through our country for rendition purposes."

Mr Kennedy challenged the Prime Minister to explain to the House “if terrorist suspects are not being transported to a third country for reasons of torture or mistreatment, can he explain to the House what are the purposes for which they are being transported?” The Prime Minister failed to give an answer.

Full text of transcript follows

Charles Kennedy: Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, last week the Prime Minister acknowledged he had been aware of the United States policy of rendition for quite some time. Now, if terrorist suspects are not being transported to a third country for reasons of torture or mistreatment, can he explain to the House what are the purposes for which they are being transported? Will he tell us?

Prime Minister: First of all, let me again make it clear to the Right Honourable gentleman, that this government is completely and totally opposed to torture or ill treatment in any set of circumstances. Our country is a signatory to the UN convention against the use of torture, we will continue to uphold its position absolutely. Rendition does not simply apply in those circumstances; it can apply in other circumstances as the secretary of state in the United States has made clear. And they have also said, to be fair, that they are also totally opposed to the use of torture or ill treatment in any circumstances.

Charles Kennedy: And in welcoming precisely what the Prime Minister has just said, would he not therefore acknowledge that our country, therefore, surely is under a legal and a moral obligation to investigate why flights are being allowed to pass through our country for rendition purposes. There are full enquiries now taking place in Italy, in Spain, in Germany and in Canada. Why not in the United Kingdom Prime Minister?

Prime Minister: My Rt Honourable Friend has just passed me a copy of his parliamentary answer from a few days ago, which say that careful research by officials has been unable to identify any occasions since 11th Sep 2001 or earlier in the Bush administration when we received a request for permission by the United States for rendition through UK territory or airspace nor are we otherwise aware of such a case. If I can just say this to him about flights coming in and out from the United States and Government flights, there is a whole series of reasons, we have visits from people from the United States government the entire time. I mean if he’s seriously suggesting… I have to say the Liberal Democrats, they are quite extraordinary sometimes. The idea that we should be investigating every time a United States government plane flies in to this country or not is completely absurd.