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Ministers win Iraq inquiry vote | Ministers win Iraq inquiry vote |
(20 minutes later) | |
A Tory attempt to have the Iraq inquiry heard "whenever possible" in public has been defeated in the Commons. | |
But the government's majority was cut to 39 votes as MPs rejected the motion by 299 to 260 votes. | |
Gordon Brown initially said the inquiry would be private but has since said some sessions could be public. | |
But Tory, Lib Dem and some Labour MPs raised concerns about how much would be public, the inquiry's remit and whether evidence would be under oath. | |
A government amendment, welcoming its announcement of the "wide ranging and independent" inquiry, was passed by 305 votes to 251. | |
The Conservatives called the Commons debate after Mr Brown told MPs last week the inquiry would be in private. | |
Amid much criticism, he later said it was up to the inquiry's chairman, Sir John Chilcot, to hold some sessions in public if he chose to. | |
But opposition parties and some Labour MPs wanted further assurances about how much would be heard in public. | |
Many MPs also said leaving the terms of reference - and issue of whether witnesses should give evidence under oath - to Sir John to decide was "unfair". | |
They wanted MPs to scrutinise the remit, debate and vote upon it. |