Tri-Service

MPs Call For Probe Into Saudi Arms Report Leak

The Commons Privileges Committee has been urged to probe the leaking of a confidential report on British arms exports to Saudi Arabia.

The Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) called for a "full investigation" of September leaks to the media of draft versions of the report.

Both BBC Newsnight and the Guardian reported contents of the document, as well as amendments tabled by FAC chair Crispin Blunt and Labour's John Spellar.

The report by the Commons Arms Export Controls Committee (CAEC), which is made up of four Commons select committees, investigated claims that UK arms sold to Saudi Arabia had been used in breaches of international law in Yemen.

Mr Blunt and Mr Spellar faced accusations of attempting to "water down" the report's contents.

And following the leak controversy, two rival reports were published, in a highly unusual step.

The FAC's report insisted exports should only be blocked if UK courts rule them unlawful, while the Business and Development committees called for a halt in weapons sales pending an independent inquiry into alleged breaches of human rights.

Mr Blunt has previously called for private investigators and the Privileges Committee to be brought in to probe the leaks, and he has now been backed by his committee.

All MPs on the Arms Export Controls Committee and related staff have denied leaking information.

In a special report on the leaks, the Foreign Affairs Committee said:

"The leaks during the CAEC consideration of its draft report on Yemen constituted, as the committees said to the Liaison Committee, a substantial interference with the inquiry.

"The leaking of documents during ongoing and private considerations of reports also limits the ability of interested parties to account properly for their positions with reference to a full and publicly available document without further betraying the confidence of other members.

"The breach of confidence involved in the disclosures could hardly have been more serious.

"They led to a breakdown of trust within CAEC, whose committees were unable to agree upon a single report to the House."

It added: "In view of the extreme seriousness of these leaks, we urge the Committee of Privileges to conduct a full investigation. It should consider the case for commissioning external investigatory assistance."