Evening Standard

London

 Home secretary Theresa May will be grilled by MPs about claims that she held secret meetings with the US senators whose report lifted the lid on American torture interrogations, the Standard can reveal.

And in a bombshell move, American senator Dianne Feinstein, who led the investigation into torture techniques, could be flown over to Britain to answer questions from MPs.

The intense questioning comes after Downing Street admitted for the first time that the British government may have asked for sections of the damning US report to be censored on “national security” grounds.

May is due to give evidence tomorrow to the home affairs select committee, and chairman Keith Vaz said members were certain to ask her whether she attempted to have parts of the report redacted.

Vaz also called on prime minister David Cameron to make a detailed Commons statement on Monday to explain exactly what the Government knew about the harsh interrogation of terror suspects by the CIA.

He said: “What we need as early as Monday is a statement to Parliament about what we knew as a Government, which concerns successive governments, and when we were told.

“I think that if the public, if they are provided with this information, are much more willing to understand the circumstances in which this was done. We need that clear statement as a first step to dispel rumour and innuendo.”

Vaz said Feinstein could be invited to take questions from a unique assembly of three senior committees of parliamentarians: the Home Affairs committee, the Intelligence and Security Committee and the Joint Committee on Human Rights.

The senior Democrat, aged 81, chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee whose 500-page report described waterboarding and prisoners held in stress positions without sleep.

Tory MP Andrew Tyrie, who founded the all-party group on extraordinary rendition, said her report strengthened the case for a judge-led inquiry.

“The Americans have now done the right thing and to their huge credit have strengthened the credibility of their claim to be standard bearers for freedom around the world,” he said.

“Britain must get to the bottom of the allegations of its involvement now.”

Former Cabinet minister Hazel Blears, who sits on the Intelligence and Security Committee, insisted it would carry out a “robust” and “in-depth” inquiry.

A senior Downing Street source said: “What’s clear with this Government, from the moment it took office, it has sought to address these issues.”

No 10 has not ruled out a judge-led inquiry but wants to wait for the ISC to complete its inquiry next year before deciding.

The CIA claimed that the harsh interrogation of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed had prevented attacks including on Heathrow and Canary Wharf. But the Senators said CIA records showed the plots had already been thwarted.