Downing Street Says » Iraq Inquiry

» Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Iraq Inquiry

Put that the Prime Minister had said in the Commons that he had nothing to hide and would give evidence whenever Chilcot asked him to and would the Prime Minister reconsider volunteering to give evidence before a general election, the PMS replied that the position on this had been very clear.

It was for the inquiry to decide when they might call the Prime Minister and other members of the Government. The committee had issued a statement on the 23rd December stating that the committee had decided to wait until after the election to hear from those Ministers who were currently serving in the roles about which the committee wishes to question them. The Prime Minister had made it clear that he would of course cooperate fully with the committee.

Asked if this situation would change after both opposition parties wrote to Chilcot urging him to call the Prime Minister, the PMS said that the Prime Minister would act in accordance with what the committee wished to do and that had always been his position.

Asked what would happen if Chilcot changed his mind, the PMS said we would need to consider that new situation. The Prime Minister had been as clear as could be in saying that the timing of him giving evidence was a matter for the inquiry.

Put that there was a slight contradiction in what the PMS was saying and was it a matter for Chilcot or was it something the Government would need to consider, the PMS said he was treating the previous question as hypothetical and did not know under what circumstances Chilcot might ask. Asked again what the Prime Minister would do if asked by Chilcot to appear before the election, the PMS said that the Prime Minister would do whatever was asked of him.

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