AN East Lancashire MP is set to visit the notorious Guantanamo Bay camp to see conditions and discuss how it can be closed.

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope was chosen by the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee to visit the camp in September to view the conditions in which the detainees are kept.

Mr Pope has long been a critic of conditions at the camp, which serves as a joint military prison and interrogation centre and has occupied a portion of the United States Navy's base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba since 2002.

The camp holds people suspected by the US government of being Al-Qaeda and Taliban operatives, along with some people no longer considered suspects that are being held pending relocation.

It has drawn strong criticism for its detainment of prisoners without trial, and allegations of torture as the US administration claims that those held are not entitled to the protections of the Geneva Convention.

The US Supreme Court ruled against this interpretation on June 19, 2006 and this month the Department of Defence issued an internal memo stating that prisoners will in the future be entitled to protection.

Mr Pope said: "Our foreign policy is closely bound with that of America in terms of our involvement with Iraq and Afghanistan and we have a very real interest in what happens at Guantanamo Bay.

"Despite supporting the war in Iraq, I have always been a very strong and vocal critic of Guantanamo Bay.

"The war on terror is based upon us wanting to protect human rights but how can we do that in other countries if we don't protect the human rights of our enemies."

After spending the day viewing conditions at Guantanamo Bay, Mr Pope will fly to Washington to meet with Pentagon officials to discuss foreign policy and the treatment of prisoners captured during the war on terror.