Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Lord Watson of Wyre Forest and Dominic Grieve(12 years, 9 months ago)
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The Attorney-General
The hon. Gentleman will be aware that we share his view that the Court has been of immense benefit in member states across the European continent in improving human rights standards. In that context, as I have indicated, there can be no suggestion that the right of personal petition, for example, should be removed. Although we need to ensure that the Court keeps its autonomy, there is widespread acknowledgment that there must be reform if it is to continue doing its work properly.
Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East) (Lab)
5. What recent discussions he has had with the Crown Prosecution Service on the progress made by the Leveson inquiry.
Injunctions
Debate between Lord Watson of Wyre Forest and Dominic Grieve(13 years, 6 months ago)
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Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.
Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.
This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record
The Attorney-General
May I reassure the right hon. and learned Gentleman that that matter is in the Government’s programme? Indeed, there should be a draft Bill on that very subject before the end of the Session.
Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East) (Lab)
The internet heralded the age of information abundance, whereas once newspapers could enforce information scarcity. Our dilemma is caused by our failure to respond to that challenge as a Parliament, so I welcome the review. Given that at least one person who took out a super-injunction is also talking to solicitors about the illegal hacking of their phones, does the Attorney-General not think that to balance this up we must consider the massive covert and illegal invasion of individuals’ privacy so that we can have a framework of laws that protects people from technological invasion of their privacy while also allowing freedom of the press?
The Attorney-General
As the hon. Gentleman will be aware, the question about phone hacking is currently the subject of criminal investigation. For that reason, I am sure he will appreciate why it is not a subject on which I wish to comment further in any detail, but I will say that the Government are perfectly aware of the issue.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Lord Watson of Wyre Forest and Dominic Grieve(13 years, 10 months ago)
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Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East) (Lab)
3. What support the Law Officers’ Departments have provided for the investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service into alleged telephone hacking and blagging; and if he will make a statement.
The Attorney-General (Mr Dominic Grieve)
The roles of the police and the Crown Prosecution Service are distinct. The police investigate allegations of criminal conduct; the Crown Prosecution Service provides them with advice, when requested to do so, and takes prosecution decisions. The constitutional role of the Law Officers is to superintend the CPS. The Law Officers are not involved in the provision of such advice. On 14 January, the Director of Public Prosecutions announced that the CPS would conduct a comprehensive assessment of all material in the possession of the Metropolitan Police Service relating to phone hacking, following developments in the civil courts in cases taking place on this issue. The purpose of this assessment is to ascertain whether there is any material that could now form evidence in any future criminal prosecution relating to phone hacking.
Mr Watson
Are the Law Officers confident that the CPS is giving the right advice? In particular, is it asking the Metropolitan police to examine the separate secure e-mail server used by News International executives of the grades of Andy Coulson and Rebekah Wade and also to examine the existing illegally transcribed phone message made by Ross Hall for “Neville”?
The Attorney-General
The hon. Gentleman may have seen a copy of the letter written by Mr Yates, the acting deputy commissioner, to the Director of Public Prosecutions. That letter makes it quite clear that he wishes to re-examine all the material collected in this matter and then to seek the advice of the CPS and the DPP in relation to it.