Chilcot to face MPs after Iraq war report delays

Families who lost loved ones in the Iraq war feel ignored by the Chilcot Inquiry one mother has told ITV News.

Rose Gentle, whose son Gordon was killed in Iraq more than ten years ago, said: "I don't think a lot of them are actually thinking of the families, not just the Chilcot Inquiry. I think a lot of these people holding back documents are not even giving the families a second thought."

The head of the inquiry into the Iraq war is to face MPs today to explain the delays in the final report, more than five years after the probe was launched.

Sir John Chilcot will face questions from MPs amid fierce criticism of the delays.

• Background: Delay 'not down to politicians trying to dodge criticism'

The inquiry chairman will appear before the Foreign Affairs Committee to discuss the process and "obstacles which remain". Prime Minister David Cameron has been among those expressing frustration that the report has yet to be finalised.

Sir John Chilcot is to give evidence to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on 4th February about his delayed report into the Iraq war, the committee said.

Earlier, this month he said it was unlikely that his long-awaited report would be published before the general election.

The families of the 179 British troops who lost their lives in the Iraq war have found delays to the Chilcott Inquiry report deeply distressing.

ITV News correspondent Dan Rivers spoke to Reg Keys, who lost his son Tom during the conflict, about his wait for answers:

Political leaders and the parents of the casualties of the 2003 war have been united in their anger and frustration at further delays to the publication of the Chilcot Iraq War report.

The report is apparently being held up because not everyone implicated in it has had their right to reply but Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who backed George W Bush and took Britain to war, insisted the delay was not because of him.

ITV News' Political Editor Tom Bradby reports:

A spokeswoman for the Iraq War inquiry has confirmed that Sir John Chilcot received the invitation to appear before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and was considering his response.

Chairman of the Committee, Sir Richard Ottaway, has written to Sir John asking him to face MPs "at some point in the next two weeks" to explain "what stage preparation of the report has reached and what obstacles remain" before it can be submitted.

The father of a soldier killed in Iraq has told ITV News he is "absolutely disgusted" by the latest delay in publishing the inquiry report into the war.

Roger Bacon, whose son, Major Matthew Bacon, was killed in Basra in 2005, said the families of fallen servicemen needed answers from Sir John Chilcot's panel.

"I'm absolutely disgusted by it. By the time this inquiry is published, it will probably have taken longer than the whole of the Iraq war - that's absolutely ridiculous," Mr Bacon told Mary Nightingale.

Delays to the publication of the Chilcot Inquiry are not down to senior politicians trying to "dodge" criticism, David Cameron has said amid growing anger.

The Prime Minister said there was "no mystery" behind Sir John Chilcot's announcement that his panel's findings would not be published before May's general election.

"My understanding is that there is no mystery in why this is taking so long," Mr Cameron said.

"It is a very thorough report and you have to give the people who are criticised in a report the opportunity to respond to all those criticisms.

"That is what is happening at the moment. I don't believe, from what I understand, that anyone is trying to dodge this report or put off this report."

Tony Blair has denied suggestions that he has caused the delay in the publication of the Chilcot report.

A spokesperson for Mr Blair said the former prime minister "regrets" the delay and wanted the inquiry to be allowed to proceed with its work.