Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2020 to Question 70307 on Ministry of Defence: Iraq Detainees, given that the Alseran judgement was handed down on 14 December 2017, when does the Ministry of Defence anticipate concluding the remaining 414 outstanding claims.

We are unable to comment with any degree of certainty as to when the remaining 414 outstanding claims will be concluded because such conclusion is dependent on the settlement of both the damages and costs elements of the claims. Whilst discussions are ongoing with a view to agreeing a negotiated settlement of the outstanding claims, if no agreement can be reached in respect of those outstanding issues that preclude a final settlement, those outstanding issues will become the subject of further Court proceedings that could foreseeably continue until December 2021.