A Commons statement on the Tory MP arrest

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has defended the decision to call in the police to investigate leaks from the Home Office. In a Commons statement, Ms Smith again insisted she had no prior knowledge that Tory MP Damian Green was about to be arrested in connection with the inquiry. She said that in the face of sustained leaks it had been necessary to prevent further sensitive material being made public. Ms Smith said: "The sustained level of leaking that had already taken place clearly suggested that this could go on, would escalate, and that more information of greater sensitivity could potentially leak." Ms Smith said that on November 17 she was informed by Home Office permanent secretary Sir David Normington that an arrest of a civil servant was likely and on November 19 Christopher Galley was arrested on suspicion of misconduct. The arrest of Mr Green followed on November 27 and Sir David was notified about this. Ms Smith said she backed the right of MPs to do their job and hold the Government to account. Such leaks were not about merely creating "political embarrassment" for her but threatened the politically impartial role of the civil service. Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve said there was not the slightest evidence that the Home Office leaks to Tory immigration spokesman Mr Green were to do with national security. He said the arrest and search of Mr Green's office had been "heavy handed and incompetent" at best and, at worst, an "unwarranted assault on our democracy". Commons Speaker Michael Martin faced criticism and a call to quit Wednesday after it was revealed police raided Mr Green's office without a search warrant. The search was also authorised by the Serjeant at Arms without the Speaker's express permission.

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ITN | December 4, 2008

Tags:. .galley. .misconduct. .incompetent. .impartial. .notified