Foreign Affairs Select Committee

The Foreign Affairs Select Committee is one of many select committees of the British House of Commons, which scrutinises the work of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Inquiries

The Foreign Affairs Committee carries out many inquiries, and publishes a variety of reports, including an annual Human Rights Report. During its inquiry into the government's decision to invade Iraq, Dr. David Kelly famously gave evidence to the committee on 15 July 2003, two days before his death.

In 2015 through 2016 the committee conducted an extensive and highly critical inquiry into the British involvement in the Libyan Civil War. It concluded that the early threat to civilians had been overstated and that the significant Islamist element in the rebel forces had not been recognised, due to an intelligence failure. By summer 2011 the initial limited intervention to protect Libyan civilians had become a policy of regime change. However that new policy did not include proper support and for a new government, leading to a political and economic collapse in Libya and the growth of ISIL in North Africa. The report concluded that the former Prime Minister David Cameron was ultimately responsible for this British policy failure.[1][2][3]

Membership

As of February 2018, the Committee's current members are as follows:

Member Party Constituency
Tom Tugendhat MP (Chairman) Conservative Tonbridge and Malling
Rt Hon Priti Patel MP Conservative Witham
Rt Hon Ann Clwyd MP Labour Cynon Valley
Mike Gapes MP Labour and Co-op Ilford South
Andrew Rosindell MP Conservative Romford
Bob Seely MP Conservative Isle of Wight
Stephen Gethins MP Scottish National North East Fife
Ian Austin MP Labour Dudley North
Royston Smith MP Conservative Southampton Itchen
Chris Bryant MP Labour Rhondda
Ian Murray MP Labour Edinburgh South

Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee

Chair Party Constituency First elected Method
Tom Tugendhat Conservative Tonbridge and Malling 12 July 2017 Elected by the House of Commons
Crispin Blunt Conservative Reigate 18 June 2015 Elected by the House of Commons
Sir Richard Ottaway Conservative Croydon South 17 May 2010 Elected by the House of Commons
Mike Gapes Labour Ilford South 19 July 2005 Elected by the Select Committee
Donald Anderson Labour Swansea East Elected by the Select Committee

See also

References

  1. ↑ "MPs attack Cameron over Libya 'collapse'". BBC News. 14 September 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  2. ↑ Patrick Wintour (14 September 2016). "MPs deliver damning verdict on Cameron's Libya intervention". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  3. ↑ Libya: Examination of intervention and collapse and the UK's future policy options (PDF). Foreign Affairs Committee (House of Commons) (Report). UK Parliament. 6 September 2016. HC 119. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
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