Unsound advice and inadequate briefings: report reserves some of its harshest strictures for the civil servants

Sir Richard Scott's arms-to-Iraq inquiry report criticises a number of civil servants involved in the Matrix Churchill prosecution and the signing of Public Interest Immunity (PII) certificates by ministers. Scott points to Customs and Excise's inadequate briefing of its senior prosecuting counsel Alan Moses, QC, who is himself criticised over his application to have information withheld from the defence under PII certificates. Rob Young, former head of the Foreign Office's Middle East Dept., is criticised for recommending that a list of exports to Iran and Iraq be withheld from Parliament.