§ Adam PriceTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance he has issued to UK service personnel on whether the use of hoods on detainees constitutes inhuman treatment for the purposes of the UN Convention Against Torture. [173019]
§ Mr. Hoon[holding answer 13 May 2004]: The directive issued by the Chief of Joint Operations to the Commander of British Forces in Iraq covers methods that may be used when obscuring vision, and circumstances in which these methods may be applied. Hoods will not be used when apprehending or detaining Iraqi citizens in Iraq.
Although the armed forces do not generally hood detainees, the MOD does not believe that the use of hoods on apprehended persons amounts to torture or inhuman treatment for the purposes of the UN Convention in all circumstances. There are occasions on which we believe its use to be appropriate, for example, the temporary obscuring of vision by hooding or other methods to prevent persons who have been apprehended from recognising their locations or other apprehended persons. We do not believe that the use of hoods is acceptable during questioning.