House of Commons - Police Searches on the Parliamentary Estate - Committee on Issue of Privilege

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House of Commons

Session 2009-10
Publications on the internet
Committee on Issue of Privilege Committee Publications

Committee on Issue of Privilege - First Report
Police Searches on the Parliamentary Estate

Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 15 March 2010.

Contents

Terms of Reference

Summary
1  Introduction

What this Report is about

2  Leaks, Government and the Police

What's wrong with leaking
The leaks from the Home Office
The Home Office asks the Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office asks the Metropolitan Police (8 October 2008)
Cabinet Office guidance
National security leaks remain unsolved
The Police and the Cabinet Office—scoping and negotiation
The Cabinet Office identifies the likely culprit
The Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (22 October 2008)
Official Secrets and Parliamentary Privilege — the Sandys case
Official Secrets and the Official Opposition
Reform of the Official Secrets Act
Misconduct in public office
The Cabinet Office asks the Metropolitan Police to continue (29 October 2008)

3  Arrests and searches elsewhere

The arrest of Christopher Galley
The arrest of Damian Green
Search warrants
Search without a warrant — the Home Office

4  Search of a Member's office in Parliament

The Serjeant and the Police
The Police and the Palace of Westminster
The responsibilities of the Serjeant at Arms
Between 20 and 26 November: the Police and the Serjeant
Wednesday 26 November: the Serjeant and the Speaker (1)

Confidentiality
References to terrorism

Wednesday 26 November: the Serjeant and the Police (1)
Wednesday 26 November: the Serjeant and the Clerk
Wednesday 26 November: the Serjeant and the Police (2)

Consent and the PACE Code of Practice

Wednesday 26 November: the Serjeant and the Speaker (2)
Thursday 27 November (morning): the Police and the Serjeant
Thursday 27 November (morning): the Serjeant and the Speaker
Thursday 27 November (late morning and early afternoon)
Thursday 27 November (afternoon): the Clerk and the Serjeant
Thursday 27 November (afternoon): the film of the search
Thursday 27 November (afternoon): the Clerk and the Speaker

5  After the search

Thursday 27 November (evening)
Monday 1 December: the Metropolitan Police Service
Tuesday 2 December: the Speaker and his advisers
Wednesday 3 December: the Speaker and the House
Monday 8 December: the Speaker's Committee
Parliamentary Privilege and the sealed bags of papers: the sift

6  The privilege issues

Matters relating to privilege arising from the police operation
Matters relating to privilege: recommendations for the future

The Speaker's Protocol
The Joint Committee on Parliamentary Privilege 1998-99
Electronic surveillance
A right of reply
Definition of proceedings
Constituency correspondence
Privilege and the reporting of Parliament
Defamation and freedom of speech
Privilege and the courts
Legislating on parliamentary privilege

7  The views of the Committee

The offences
Leaks and the Police
Searches on the Parliamentary Estate
The House of Commons Service

Conclusions and recommendations
Formal Minutes
Witnesses
List of written evidence
List of unprinted evidence

Oral and Written Evidence
Monday 19 October 2009

Monday 2 November 2009

Monday 9 November 2009

Monday 23 November 2009

Monday 7 December 2009

Monday 14 December 2009

Monday 18 January 2010

Monday 24 February 2010

Written Evidence

© Parliamentary copyright 2010
Prepared 22 March 2010