Question

To ask the Prime Minister, what definitions the Government adopts of (a) self-defence and (b) imminence in authorising the Khan drones strike; and what assessment the Government has made of the difference between such definitions and those formulated by the US administration.

As I said during my oral statement on Syria: Refugees and Counter-Terrorism on 7 September 2015, Official Report, column 23, these individuals presented a clear and present danger to the country and this action was taken because there was no alternative. The Attorney General was consulted and was clear there was a legal basis for this action in international law. Our Permanent Representative has informed the President of the United Nations Security Council of this activity, which was conducted in the self-defence of the UK.