Speeches by Norman.

“Thank you for coming in, and for your testimony. I want to pick up some of the points on the legal process that was undergone. Larisa, you mentioned that there were private hearings and reserved hearings—or hearings to which you were not admitted. We are building a picture of private but open hearings—where defendants …”

“Can you put us straight on that?”

“When the Secretary of State appeared in front of us. That is just for information. Thank you; and thank you, Chair.”

“Thank you. My final point would be to note that we have detected a change within this Committee—I think it is a matter of public record—in the quality of information we have received from the MoD. It has not just got worse; it has become structurally worse in the channels that they give us. I have questioned the Secret…”

“Right, so there is an enormous machinery of government going on around the ARR, which is being kept secret by the super-injunction alongside all the other material?”

“Okay, brilliant. A couple of other quick things: before this, the super-injunction was extended to cover this new secret settlement regime, the ARR—if I’ve got that right—with potentially enormous further costs, so there was a significant expenditure of public capital being covered by the super-injunction, as well as a…”

“The grounds did not exist. It looked good in law, as it were—there was no arguable case to be made to the Supreme Court. Would that have been the kind of argument that they would make?”

“Why is that?”

“That’s right—you didn’t, I should say.”

“Okay. So they had an appeal and it was successful. They then did not appeal it further to the Supreme Court.”

“Sorry, but there was a slight suggestion that there might be a political influence—”

“Okay, but the decision was made before the election was called, so the judge had no reason for thinking the election was going to get called.”

“What was the reason why the Government, in your judgment, chose to appeal at that point? Why do you think they were so keen that they should retain the super-injunction aspect?”

“Okay. So then the High Court wanted the super-injunction to be discharged, and the then Secretary of State appealed that. Have I got that right?”

“There were hearings, people are speaking to this from different parts, and you are getting a chance to cross-examine the people coming in and speaking to the judge?”

“I understand; I am just trying to be clear on the facts. Originally, the MoD applied for an injunction, and it was upgraded to a super-injunction. They thought, “Oh, goody! We will re-apply for a super-junction when it occurs,” but originally, they had only asked for four months. They then reapplied and it was granted.”

“Will the Leader of the House give us the forthcoming business?”

“I thank the Leader of the House for that update. I know the whole House will want to join me in sending our very best wishes to the victims of the hurricane in Jamaica, and now also Cuba, Haiti and the Turks and Caicos Islands. I want to pay a personal tribute to Prunella Scales, who died this week. She was a magnifice…”

“Will the Leader of the House give us the forthcoming business?”

“In addition to the tributes that were paid earlier this week, I believe I will be speaking for all Members in mourning the death on Monday of our former colleague Oliver Colvile. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”] Oliver entered the House with me in that glorious parliamentary generation of 2010. He was nationally famous fo…”