MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK: Commons to get vote over war plans

The Prime Minister will in future normally be required to obtain the approval of the House of Commons before sending British forces to war, under plans set out by the Government.

Jack Straw, the Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, told MPs the premier would also be required to set out the objectives of the military action as well as any relevant legal matters in a report to the House. However, under the plans set out in a Government White Paper, there would also be exemptions from the requirement to seek Commons approval in emergencies or when operational secrecy would be compromised. "These changes, if agreed, would define a clear role for Parliament in the most critical of all decisions to face a nation, whilst ensuring that our nation's security is not compromised," Mr Straw said in a Commons statement. The planned changes formed part of a wide-ranging package of constitutional reforms set out in the White Paper and an accompanying draft Constitutional Reform Bill. They include scrapping the sections of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act which require protesters to obtain the authorisation of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner before staging a demonstration around Parliament. Mr Straw said the Government would seek the views of MPs on whether measures were needed to ensure passages leading to the Palace of Westminster were kept open or that "excessive noise is not used to disrupt the workings of Parliament". In other measures, the role of the Attorney General will be reformed, removing the power to issue directions to the Director of Public Prosecutions or other prosecuting authorities, except in cases when national security is involved. The Prime Minister will be removed completely from the process of judicial appointments while the Lord Chancellor role will be restricted in appointments below the rank of High Court judge. The Civil Service will, for the first time, be put on a statutory footing, enshrining in law its values of "impartiality, integrity, honesty and objectivity" as well as the principle of appointment on merit. Parliament's role in the scrutiny of non-European Union treaties will be formalised, giving MPs the power to block the ratification of a treaty by the Government. The relaxation on the rules governing the flying of the Union Flag from public buildings will also continue.