MPs debate Shaker Aamer
16 March 2015
On Tuesday 17 March, MPs took part in a debate on a motion on Shaker Aamer. This debate was scheduled by the Backbench Business Committee. The Members in charge for this debate are John McDonnell, Sir Peter Bottomley, Sir Bob Russell and Jeremy Corbyn.
Watch the debate and read the transcript
The debate was opened by John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington. The Shaker Aamer followed the debate on motions relating to reports from the Committee of Standards.
- Watch Parliament TV: MPs debate Shaker Aamer 17 March 2015
- Read Commons Hansard: MPs debate Shaker Aamer, Tuesday 17 March 2015
Text of the motion
MPs will debate the motion:
'That this House calls on the US Government to release Shaker Aamer from his imprisonment in Guantánamo Bay and to allow him to return to his family in the UK.'
Backbench Business Committee
The Backbench Business Committee meets weekly on Tuesdays to consider requests for debates from any backbench Members of Parliament on any subject, including those raised in e-petitions or national campaigns.
An MP must make a representation before the Committee for an e-petition or petition to be debated; e-petitions exceeding the Government's 100,000 signature threshold are not automatically allocated backbench time.
The Committee then has to decide how to allocate the limited Parliamentary time it has at its disposal. The Committee's meetings are always conducted in public and can be watched on Parliament TV.