§ 13. Norman Baker (Lewes) (LD)If he will make a statement on his Department's involvement with the British citizens held at Guantanamo bay. [178165]
§ The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. David Blunkett)We have sought to maintain a balance between pursuing international terrorists and protecting and defending basic human rights. Our position on the four British nationals detained in Guantanamo bay remains that they should obtain a fair trial in accordance with international standards of justice. The detainees were interviewed by the Security Service as part of the Government's responsibility to protect national security. Those interviews were conducted on a voluntary basis and were undertaken in accordance with accepted international procedures.
§ Norman BakerI thank the Home Secretary and agree with the objective that he set out of a fair trial or release for those UK nationals. However, does he remember answering a written question from me only last week in which he appeared to accept that some detainees questioned by UK intelligence personnel
have complained about their treatment in detention" [Official Report, 9 June 2004; Vol. 422, c 427W.]?Those complaints were about treatment not dissimilar to that in Abu Ghraib, which contravenes the Geneva conventions. Does he believe that those allegations are justified and is it not time that the Government did more to stand up for British nationals instead of kowtowing to the US?
§ Mr. BlunkettThe British Government have made appropriate representations to the United States authorities in relation to all those complaints. As I said a moment ago, interviews were undertaken on a voluntary basis and to the standards that we would expect of our own officials operating in this country.