COMPENSATION FOR SHAKER AAMER

That this House notes with concern reports in the press that Mr Shaker Aamer may receive a sum of £1 million from the Government in compensation for his imprisonment in Guantanamo Bay; further notes that Mr Aamer is a Saudi citizen whose only connection to the UK is that he was allowed to reside in the UK, that he freely chose to leave the UK to live under Taliban rule and that he was captured by Afghan nationals and imprisoned by the US; in light of this, believes that UK taxpayers have no responsibility towards Mr Aamer and that the UK has already been generous in housing and paying benefits to his family; and further believes that it would be morally wrong to make a payment to Mr Aamer when the bereaved families of British service personnel have received much smaller awards.