Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Leader of the House – in the House of Commons at 2:30 pm on 8 January 2007.
Jack Straw
Chair, Modernisation of the House of Commons Committee, Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal
2:30,
8 January 2007
I receive many informal representations on this matter. In their November response to the Lords Constitution Committee report "Waging War: Parliament's Role and Responsibility", the Government said that they were keeping their policy in this area under review. I think the whole House will agree that we have to ensure at all times and in all circumstances the safety of our service personnel, but subject to that and to emergency situations, I cannot conceive of a situation where the Commons should not have a key role to play in decisions in respect of going to war.