Committee announces new inquiry

• the strategic balance between deterrence, containment, intervention and influence
• the utility of force
• the legitimacy of force, including the political/military interface, and the changing legal environment
• lessons learned from current and recent operations
• the relationship between hard and soft power in terms of influence

The Committee would welcome written evidence to the inquiry. This should be sent to the Clerk of the Defence Committee by Friday 12 April 2013.

If, as foreshadowed on 10 December, this inquiry gives rise to further inquiries on specific aspects, terms of reference for these will be issued in due course.

Submission of Written Evidence Should:

• If possible, be provided electronically in MS Word or Rich Text format by e-mail to defcom@parliament.uk. If submitted by e-mail or e-mail attachment, a letter should also be sent validating the e-mail. The letterhead should contain your full postal address and contact details. If you have any queries on the submission of evidence contact Christine Randall, Senior Committee Assistant, tel: 0207 219 6872, email: randallc@parliament.uk .
• Begin with a one page summary if it is longer than six pages
• Have numbered paragraphs
• Avoid the use of colour or expensive-to-print material.
Submissions can also be sent by post to Defence Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.
Individuals and organisations interested in submitting written evidence to the Committee may find the Commons: Guide for Witnesses particularly useful.

Please also note that:

• Material already published elsewhere should not form the basis of a submission, but may be referred to within written evidence, in which case a hard copy of the published work should be included. If a number of published documents are sent to accompany written evidence, these should be listed in the covering email.
• Written evidence submitted must be kept confidential until published by the Committee, unless publication by the person or organisation submitting it is specifically authorised.
• Once submitted, evidence is the property of the Committee. The Committee normally, though not always, chooses to make public the written evidence it receives, by publishing it on the internet (where it will be searchable), by printing it or by making it available through the Parliamentary Archives. If there is any information you believe to be sensitive you should highlight it and explain what harm you believe would result from its disclosure. The Committee will take this into account in deciding whether to publish or further disclose the evidence.
• It would be helpful, for Data Protection purposes, if individuals wishing to submit written evidence send their contact details separately in a covering letter. You should be aware that there may be circumstances in which the House of Commons will be required to communicate information to third parties on request, in order to comply with its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
• Select Committees are unable to investigate individual cases.