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Gordon Brown was today pressed to allow an independent inquiry into claims that Britain was complicit in torture.
A scathing report from MPs and peers accused ministers of refusing to answer detailed questions on the role played by MI5 and MI6 officers in cases of alleged abuse.
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights said it had tried to establish whether such claims were true but had been thwarted by "woefully deficient" information from the Government.
Indicating that it had little trust in official denials, the committee said an independent inquiry was the only way to restore public confidence in the activities of intelligence and security agencies. Andrew Dismore, Labour MP for Hendon and committee chairman, said ministers and the head of MI5 had both refused to be questioned about torture. They had responded to "serious allegations" with "general assertions of non-complicity".
"An independent inquiry is the only way to get to the bottom of these stories, clear the air and make recommendations for the future conduct and management of the security services," he said.
"It is unacceptable both for ministers to refuse to answer policy questions about the security services, and for the director- general of MI5 to answer questions from the Press but not from a Parliamentary committee."
The report follows a string of allegations including those of Binyam Mohamed, an Ethiopian-born British resident who claims MI5 fed questions to Moroccan interrogators who slashed his genitals with scalpels.
Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said: "The Government's failure to answer growing questions about torture and rendition are damaging the good name of this country."
Liberal Democrat Chris Huhne said: "We need a full, public inquiry to establish just how far up the chain government knowledge of collusion in torture and rendition went."
Seven former Guantanamo inmates including Mr Mohamed are bringing test case damages claims against MI5 and MI6.
Reader views (13)
These terrorists are tough how to make allegation of torture so as to get sympathy from their own kind, the politicians(PC)brigade,lefties and their well wishers.People have to wake up to all this nonsense of compensation.And tax payers money wasted for investigations.Lawyers and judges are all in it to make money for themselves.
- Surj, london
I'm not interested in what happened to Mohammed, or any other foreign criminal.
I just want to know what he is still doing here, freeloading from a country and people he hates.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
It's about high time that dumpUk toughened up and told these international creeps where they get off - may I have a public enquiry into this?
- Ted, London
And after that inquiry will have an inquiry into that inquiry and so on. It happened get over it; they were terrorists and if it saved lives so be it, no one died from it, its a sensation that similutes drowning and tricks the person.
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London
I bet the terrorist classes are waiting with bated breath to see how Mohommed and his mates from Guantanamo get on with their cases. If they win the system will be flooded with allegations of torture. Any proceeds will fund their future terror operations against us. They are not going to stop trying to kill us because we are kind and generous.
- Jilly, London
How many lives were saved by the information gained? Also I am confused just how some of these people became British in the first place?
- Very Very Angry At Paying Tax For Mp'S Expeses, Home Counties
So every time a foregn national complains about their treatment in a foreign country, we should get invloved and hold yet another money wasting enquiry (seems to be the new panacea given there are two calls today alone for enquiries). Why should we care what this ass got himself involved with and where he went and who "allegedly" tortured him. Who cares? More business for Reprieve (to spoend our money). They are also calling for an enquiry into a plane landing to refuel on Diego Garcia in the Indian ocean 7 years ago because a Pakistani was on a US government plane at the time. He can't sue the Americans because they have the right answer. The UK on the other hand has become a soft touch for these idiots that were supposedly tortured. Where's the evidence? Give us some pictures? Oh there are none? the wounds have healed. What a joke.
- Jon, london
It wouldn't be too difficult to make a few similarly unsubstantiated allegations about Andrew Dismore and the blatantly unrepresentative Parliamentary Joint Committee in Human Rights.
- Wally Peyton, Beckenham, Kent
Andrew Dismore is very supportive of Israeli torture which is sanctioned by Israeli law. The proof of Israeli torture doesn't stop Mr Dismore being their "friend" so its not torture in general he's against. He'd just like to start a long, boring and expensive investigation in the hope that it will produce something he can use to substantiate his baseless claims.
- Bryn, Chippenham, Wilts
Isn't this the guy claiming 'medieval style torture'? If so, he and his lawyers really need to look at the samples of Guido Fawkes' handwriting before and after his questioning, and stop his lawyers issuing such inflammatory statements that seem to be little more than a blatent attempt to extract compensation
- Jim, London
Suddenly everybody is making hostile noises in the direction of MI5 and MI6 and clucking sympathetically towards Binyam Mohamed over his treatment. Why? Are we sure we are backing the right horse, people? MI5 and MI6 are guarding our security and safety. I don´t think those were Binyam Mohamed´s aims.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands
To Tom Jenning's point, we certainly shouldn't plan to waste money. However there appears to be sufficient cause to investigate this further. While extracting information under torture may have saved lives, is this something we are prepared to do within the principles of our society? Sometimes "issues of national security" seem to be used to mask the truth, and "proof" is often supressed for operational security reasons. Government is meant to represent the people, and its agencies to protect us. It would be helpful to understand what parameters our security and secret intelligence services can work within, not least for their own benefit. If that includes torture, as clearly was the case in the US, then so be it if those we elect judge this to have been in our interest, and if we concur. But let us have some transparency. Ministers have to make difficult decisions at times, but should brief us on what they decided as these decisions are a reflection on all of us.
- David Mackay, London
We can't waste money on public enquiries every time a foreign national makes wild accusations against the guardians of our security in support of his asylum and compensation claims. And we can't waste money on public enquiries every time some disreputable pressure group/lawyer wants another slice of the public purse.
Show us the proof.
- Tom Jennings, London, UK
