Parliament

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

Further to the statement by the Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP dated 5 July 2023, I can confirm that the Terms of Reference of the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan have been amended by agreement with the Chair the Rt Hon Lord Justice Haddon-Cave.

I have placed a copy of the revised Terms of Reference in the Library of the House.

The amendments reflect the Written Ministerial Statement, which avowed the involvement of Special Forces in alleged unlawful activity in Afghanistan in the period mid-2010 to mid-2013.

In my new capacity as Secretary of State for Defence, I would like to reiterate my strong support for this Inquiry commissioned by the Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP.

My Right Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

As announced to the House on 15 December 2022, I commissioned The Rt Hon Lord Justice Haddon-Cave to chair an independent statutory inquiry under the 2005 Inquiries Act to investigate and report on alleged unlawful activity by British Armed Forces during deliberate detention operations (DDO) in Afghanistan in the period mid-2010 to mid-2013, and the adequacy of subsequent investigations into such allegations.

It is right that the Ministry of Defence continues to balance the requirement to be as open and transparent as possible against national security considerations. The Inquiry are now reaching the stage of substantive hearings, and I can confirm that the allegations relate to the conduct of UK Special Forces.

This confirmation is made in the exceptional circumstances of this Inquiry, where the activities of this organisation are the central focus of the inquiry’s investigation, as set out in its Terms of Reference. Outside of this very specific context, such confirmation should not be seen to alter the longstanding position of this Government, and previous Governments, to not comment on the deployment or activities of the UK Special Forces. I remain steadfast in this for the protection of those involved and our national security.