Police Searches on the Parliamentary Estate - Committee on the Issue of Privilege Contents


Annex 3

Letter from the Speaker of the House of Commons to Damian Green MP

  Thank you for your letter of 3 February.

Let me begin by addressing your last point, namely about reference of the matter to the Committee of Standards and Privileges. As you will know as I have said recently in the House, (Hansard 2 February 2009 c592) I am bound by the decision that the House itself took on 8 December 2008 to set up a Committee to look into this matter but making it a condition that "the Committee must not in any way prejudice any police inquiry or potential criminal proceedings and that therefore it will be adjourned immediately after choosing a chairman until the completion of any relevant inquiry or proceedings that may follow".

  In the light of that decision I have not felt able to allow the matter to have precedence over the Orders of the Day in accordance with the procedure laid down on page 167 of Erskine May.

  On the other matter you raised, it is for the House to determine its own privileges—and not incidentally an individual Member. The Clerk of the House acts as the House's principal adviser in matters of privilege and it is in this capacity that he has advised the parties of such documents as he considers have been identified as attracting Parliamentary privilege.

4 February 2009



 
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