Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Rejected
On balance, we believe that the MacGregor review’s recommendations do not go far enough and...
Recommendation
On balance, we believe that the MacGregor review’s recommendations do not go far enough and the interests of the affected families and those of the FCDO in securing detainee releases are best served by concentrating responsibility for handling these cases in a single senior position. We recommend that over the next 12 months the Government undertake appropriate consultation to establish the position of Director for Arbitrary and Complex Detentions (DACD). This post should be specifically recruited on a renewable five-year term with a mandate that includes coordinating the response to certain cases, providing a point of contact for families, convening a cross- government response, and coordinating the UK’s response to the multilateral efforts to address state hostage taking and arbitrary detention with a relentless focus on them. The postholder should have a direct line to the Prime Minister. If the Government refuses to implement this recommendation the lead for all state hostage cases should sit with the Foreign Secretary. (Paragraph 42) Stolen years: combatting state hostage diplomacy 49
Government response summary AI-generated
The government rejects the creation of a Director for Arbitrary and Complex Detentions, stating the Foreign Secretary has primacy and they prioritise country-specific expertise and consular best practice, using senior geographic leads and a Director for Consular Services.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government · verbatim extract
Rejected
26. The Government does not agree that we should establish a separate post of Director for Arbitrary and Complex Detentions. Our approach reflects the Foreign Secretary’s 8 Stolen years: combatting state hostage diplomacy: Government Response primacy within Cabinet as the Secretary of State responsible for foreign affairs, including consular affairs, with direct access to the Prime Minister. Our approach to the governance and leadership of complex cases also reflects the dual premium we place on country specific expertise and consular best practice. Relevant senior geographic leads (Minister, Geographic Director, and Head of Mission) may lead our diplomatic response to complex detentions such as those in Iran, working with the Director for Consular Services who is responsible for consistency of consular approach. We regularly compare this approach with best practice in other countries.
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