To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his US counterparts first told him of the use of Diego Garcia for rendition flights; and what steps he took in response. (189822)

As set out in my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 21 February 2008, Official Report, columns 547-48, UK officials were informed of this development on 15 February. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has asked officials to compile a list of all the flights where we have been alerted to concerns regarding rendition through the UK or our Overseas Territories. Once this is ready we will be sending this list to the US and seeking their specific assurance that none of these flights were used for rendition purposes. He has also asked officials to continue to work through, with their US counterparts, the details and implications of this information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which (a) individuals and (b) organisations have expressed concern to his Department at the use of Diego Garcia for rendition flights since 2002; what steps he took in response to their comments; and what responses were provided. (189823)

As set out in my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's Statement to the House on 21 February, Official Report, columns 547-548, he has asked officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to compile a list of all the flights where we have been alerted to concerns regarding rendition through the UK or our overseas territories. In this context we will be reviewing correspondence to Ministers on these issues, including from hon. Members, non-governmental organisations and members of the public. In responding to such concerns in the past, the FCO has made reference to explicit assurances by the US that detainees had not been and would not be held or transported via Diego Garcia.