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PS 98
Alan Rusbridger, Editor, Guardian,
9 July 2009
I write with regard to reports in the Guardian today relating to illegal phone tapping by journalists from News International Ltd.
The Culture, Media and Sport Committee has been extremely concerned to see suggestions in the press that Clive Goodman's was not a one-off case. If illegal phone tapping was in fact a widespread practice, and News International have settled cases amounting to £1m to prevent this from becoming public knowledge then that is very serious indeed.
At its meeting this morning the Committee agreed that I should write to you to ask the Guardian to submit supplementary evidence to our inquiry on Press standards, privacy and libel regarding this matter.
We plan to take oral evidence on this issue next Tuesday, and would like to invite you to attend at 11.30am to give further oral evidence to the Committee, accompanied by Nick Davies if you wish. We are seeking to take evidence from Les Hinton immediately before that.
JOHN WHITTINGDALE OBE MP CHAIRMAN |