Chilcot Report Delayed Until After EU Referendum

The Chilcot Report on the Iraq war will be published soon after the EU referendum on 23 June, David Cameron has confirmed.

He told MPs the long-awaited report would come "not too much longer" after the referendum, suggesting he already has a publication date in mind.

His announcement came in answer to a whimsical – but pointed – question from the senior Tory backbencher Sir David Amess, reflecting the frustration of many MPs about the long delay.

:: Anger As Chilcot Delays Iraq Report Until 2016

"Four years ago I asked (Mr Cameron) on behalf of my mother Maud if the EU referendum vote could be brought forward because of her age," said Sir David.

"She was then 100. She now wishes to know if she needs to set a world record for longevity before the Chilcot report is published."

Amid laughter in the Commons chamber, Mr Cameron responded: "I think I can reassure Maud that this summer she'll have, I think, a double opportunity to deal with these things.

"A referendum on 23 June, and I'm sure the Chilcot report will come not too much longer after that."

That prompted the Commons Speaker John Bercow to quip: "And I rather imagine she'll then want a backbench business committee debate on the matter."

The delay in publishing the report on the inquiry - launched by Gordon Brown in 2009 and which has cost £2.2m - has also been condemned by families who lost loved ones in the conflict as well as by MPs of all parties.

Sir John Chilcot, the inquiry's chairman, committed last October to hand in the report in the week commencing 18 April.

He said at the time he hoped the report would be published "in June or July 2016".

At the time the Prime Minister replied to Sir John that he hoped the report could be security vetted within two weeks, which would have seen it published in May.

He told Sir John in a letter: "In relation to National Security checking, the Government will aim to complete the process as quickly as possible.

"As you know, National Security checking for the Savile Inquiry took two weeks to complete.

"It would certainly be our plan and expectation to take no longer than this, and we will look to complete the process more quickly."

Mr Cameron also said he would be "very happy to provide more resource if it would allow the report to be published more quickly".