David Cameron has rejected a call by Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael for an inquiry into allegations British security forces were involved in the rendition of terror suspects for torture to be re-opened.
The former Scottish secretary said further investigation should be carried out “so we can know what was done in our name and on whose authority”.
But the Tory leader insisted “very few countries in the world” would have had “such an independent and thorough investigation”.
Their exchange at Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons came after the Crown Prosecution Service announced former senior MI6 officer Sir Mark Allen would not face charges over the rendition of two Libyan dissidents, because of insufficient evidence.
Mr Carmichael said Mr Cameron had previously described rendition as doing “huge damage to our moral authority” and asked him to reconstitute the Gibson Inquiry, which was scrapped in 2012.
The PM said the government had cooperated fully with the police investigation into the cases, and added that the intelligence and security committee would look at the issues.
But he did not agree to re-establish the inquiry, which published an interim report in December 2013 saying there was evidence “the UK may have been inappropriately involved in some renditions”.
