Baroness Cox receives an answer to her written question regarding the Ministry of Defence

Baroness Cox (crossbench) posed a written question to the UK Government regarding the principle of parliamentary scrutiny with relation to operations of the British Special Forces. The response came from Earl Howe (Con), deputy Leader of the HoL. 

Baroness Cox

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will clarify the basis of their policy of not commenting on the operations of British Special Forces; and what is their assessment of the extent to which that policy is compatible with the principle of parliamentary scrutiny.

Earl Howe 

It is this Government’s, and previous Governments’, policy not to comment, and to dissuade others from commenting or speculating, about the operational activities of Special Forces because of the security implications. To prevent the inadvertent confirmation or otherwise of any information or assertion the approach has been to neither confirm nor deny, and to decline to comment when questions concerning Special Forces are posed. This is entirely compatible with the principle of Parliamentary scrutiny, which is exercised through Ministerial oversight of Special Forces operations.

Hansard source: HL6882 

You can see all of Baroness Cox’s written questions and answers here.