Memorandum from Rebekah Brooks, Chief
Executive Officer, News International
Thank you for your letter of 15 December.[123]
You refer to three "broad areas" in
which the Committee wishes to ask me questions. Though I always
have been, and remain, wholly committed to assisting the Committee
in its inquiry, I do not see how my attendance before the Committee
can or will assist it in any way on these issues for the following
reasons:
— On the supposed "incongruity"
between the handling of the various employment matters to which
your letter refers, I have no personal knowledge of these matters
(or the internal decision-making process around them). The Matt
Driscoll case was a News of the World matter and the initial
events giving rise to it, I understand, predate Colin Myler's
editorship.
— On Ross Hindley, an email was sent by
Fred Michel of News Corporation to Tracey Garratty on 8 December
in answer to specific questions raised by the Committee. I cannot
add anything to what was written in that email. Nor can I comment
on Mr. Crone's evidence which, as you know, was given when I was
Editor of the Sun.
— You refer incorrectly to "inappropriate
action by News International journalists". The issues giving
rise to the Committee's examination of various current and former
News International and News of the World employees are
specific to the News of the World and do not relate (as
far as I am aware) to the other News International national newspapers
any more than they do to any other national newspapers.
Perhaps you could let me know whether the Committee
intends to ask the chief executives of other national newspaper
groups a similar question?
As the Committee knows, Colin Myler has previously
informed the Committee in detail as to the particular measures
taken by him at the News of the World to address such issues
and I (having now been Chief Executive of News International for
four months) will ensure that proper journalistic standards continue
to be applied across all our titles. We will, of course, study
in detail the Report the Committee makes to the House to see if
we can improve still further our internal procedures in the light
of any findings set out in the Report.
Given the above, I hope you and your colleagues
agree that my attendance before the Committee to face questions
on the three areas to which you refer would be pointless and a
waste of the Committee's time. As I have said before, if there
are other matters being investigated by yourselves and on which
you and your colleagues feel I may have direct knowledge, I remain
very happy to be of assistance.
I should conclude by noting that, given my clear
commitment to assisting the Committee, I am very surprised at
the threat of coercion made in your letter which, I am sure you
must agree, is inappropriate.
Rebekah Brooks
4 January 2010
Annex
Extract of the letter from the Culture,
Media and Sport Committee to News International Ltd, dated 15
December 2009
You ask why your appearance before the Committee
is relevant to its inquiry. The broad areas in which the Committee
wishes to ask you questions as the newly appointed Chief Executive
Officer of News International are:
— The incongruity between News International's
handling of the employment tribunal cases of Clive Goodman and
Glenn Mulcaire, and the recent tribunal case with former sports
reporter, Matt Driscoll.
— The evidence we received from Tom Crone
regarding Ross Hall/Hindley and News International's subsequent
correction of that evidence.
— What actions and procedures you as Chief
Executive Officer have put in place and plan to put in place to
prevent further instances of inappropriate action by News International
journalists.
The Committee does not consider that these issues
can be dealt with through written questions, it wishes to hold
a formal and public oral evidence session to discuss them with
you.
123 See Annex. Back
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