Commons committee report 'leaked to US'

Thursday, 3 February 2011 12:00 AM

By politics.co.uk staff

The US government was informed of a select committee report into Iran days before publication, according to a new Wikileaks file.

The move would be a major breach of parliamentary rules. Select committee reports are not even meant to be seen by government departments before publication.

But according to a new Wikileaks file handed to the Daily Telegraph , a report by the foreign affairs committee calling for the US to "engage directly" with Iran was leaked to the US two days before its release.

The document sees Richard Mills, political counsellor at the US Embassy in London, mention that the embassy was shown an "excerpt from the committee's still unpublished report" by a Foreign Office contact.

At one point Mr Mills mentions that the Foreign Office had only received the report on February 29th 2008, the same day it was leaked to the US embassy - indicating it was passed on as soon as Whitehall had its hands on it.

Mr Mills noted that the select committee report was unlikely to affect UK foreign policy.

"Due to the unique dynamics of the British system of Cabinet government, [committee reports] have little direct or immediate impact on official HMG government policy, especially with respect to core foreign policy issues," he noted.

Select committee reports are one of the most powerful tool MPs have to hold government to account but the government is under no obligation to take their views into account.

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