Jamal al-Harith Debate

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Department: Home Office

Jamal al-Harith

Chris Bryant Excerpts
Thursday 23rd February 2017

(7 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Not on my Benches. In fact, I do not have a Bench but a very comfortable Chair.

Chris Bryant Portrait Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab)
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Basically, the Prime Minister, when she was Home Secretary, and/or the Justice Secretary, agreed £1 million or thereabouts for a man who went on to commit a significant terrorist act that killed many people. Why the Minister thinks that he can hide behind legal confidentiality and security so as not even to assuage any of the basic concerns that all our voters will have is a mystery to me. The man is dead, for a start, and secondly the Bill of Rights says that no proceeding in Parliament shall be impeached or questioned by any court of law or any other place. The Minister can tell us everything he wants today, if only he had the courage to do so.

Ben Wallace Portrait Mr Wallace
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They always save the best for last, Mr Speaker. The hon. Gentleman uses the word himself: it is the word “legally” that is important and seems to have missed his attention. This is a legally binding confidentiality clause between parties. If he wants to investigate more, I refer him to the Intelligence and Security Committee, which has all the powers given by this Government and the coalition Government to make sure that it gets to the bottom of the issues.