Security of Ministers’ Offices and Communications Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Security of Ministers’ Offices and Communications

Alan Brown Excerpts
Monday 28th June 2021

(3 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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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.

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Julia Lopez Portrait Julia Lopez
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I thank my hon. Friend, and I shall want an answer to that question.

Alan Brown Portrait Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP)
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First of all, is a Department-led inquiry sufficient for the gravity of this situation? We need to know whether these recordings extend to other Departments, who all this footage is offered to, and who benefited from the release of the footage. We need to understand the security risks of Ministers doing business by private email, as has been said. The Minister cannot just say, “Oh, it’s complicated.” It is simple. We have a parliamentary email address and Ministers should use it—end of story. Also, it is only because of this leak that we have found out about yet another crony appointment that the Government did not bat an eyelid about, so who is taking the lead in investigating all these other matters?