Oral Answers to Questions

Lord Mann Excerpts

Thursday 4th June 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Before I call the hon. Member for Bassetlaw (John Mann) to ask Question 4, it might be helpful to new Members if I remind the House that, to avoid any possibility of compromising our security, we do not discuss operational security matters on the Floor of the House. The question is perfectly in order, but hon. Members should take account of this constraint in their further exchanges.

[John Mann (Bassetlaw) (Lab)]

4. Which House staff or persons authorised by House staff have the ability and authority to view or authorise others to view hon. Members’ emails.

[Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley)]

The short answer is none. The slightly longer answer is that viewing a Member’s emails can be done lawfully only with the consent of the Member, where a circuit judge has made a production order requiring material to be produced, or pursuant to a search warrant and in accordance with the Speaker’s protocol on the execution of a search warrant and the precedent of the House of Commons. Thus, no member of staff, including the parliamentary security director, has both the ability and the authority to view or authorise the viewing of Members’ emails.

[John Mann]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that clarification. Will he confirm that should there be any change in those procedures, he will immediately report such matters to the House?

[Sir Paul Beresford]

Either I or the appropriate Member will do so.