Catalogue description Records of the Report of the Committee of Privy Counsellors appointed to consider authorised procedures for the interrogation of persons suspected of terrorism (Parker Inquiry)

On 16 November 1971 the Home Secretary, The Right Honourable Reginald Maudling MP, announced that a committee of three Privy Counsellors would be set up to investigate interrogation procedures. The inquiry was a response to Sir Edmund Compton's report into allegations of brutality by the security forces in Northern Ireland. One of the conclusions of which was that some of the procedures used in interrogation amounted to physical ill-treatment. The remit of the Parker Inquiry was: 'to consider whether, and if so what respects, the procedures currently authorised for the interrogation of persons suspected of terrorism and for their custody while subject to interrogation require amendment.'

The Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Edward Heath MP, appointed Lord Parker of Waddington to chair the committee. Mr John Boyd-Carpenter was nominated as the Conservative Privy Counsellor, and Lord Gardner was nominated by the Opposition to be the third Privy Counsellor.

The first meeting of the committee was held on 3 December 1971 and a number of further meetings were held thereafter. On 31 January 1972 the final report was delivered to the Prime Minister. The report consisted of both a majority report, authored by Lord Parker and Mr Boyd-Carpenter, and a minority report authored by Lord Gardiner.