Iraq — Foreign Affairs Committee Report — 16 Jul 2003 at 15:53

The majority of MPs voted against a judicial inquiry into the decision to go to war in Iraq.

The majority of MPs voted against the motion:^[1]

• This House
• welcomes Ninth Report^[2] from the Foreign Affairs Committee on the Decision to go to war in Iraq, Session 2002-03, HC 813;^[3]
• but notes some reservations by Committee members that it not only had insufficient time but insufficient access to crucial documents to come to comprehensive and definitive conclusions on some of the issues;
• further notes the recent concerns raised over intelligence material; and
• calls on the Government to set up a judicial inquiry finally to establish the facts of the matter.

In its place a new motion was proposed:^[4]

• This House
• welcomes the Ninth Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee on the Decision to go to War in Iraq, Session 2002-03, HC 813;
• notes that substantial oral and written evidence, by and on behalf of the Government, was provided to the Committee;
• believes that the Intelligence and Security Committee, established by Parliament by statute, is the appropriate body to consider the intelligence relating to Iraq; and
• notes that this Committee has already begun its inquiry.

This then passed without a further vote.

• [1] Michael Ancram MP, House of Commons, 16 July 2003
• [2] The Decision to go to War in Iraq, Foreign Affairs Select Committee, 7 July 2003
• [3] Ninth Report, Foreign Affairs Select Committee, 7 July 2003
• [4] Jack Straw MP, House of Commons 16 July 2003

Debate in Parliament | Historical Hansard | Source |