Metropolitan Police Service

Barry Gardiner Excerpts

Monday 18th July 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mrs May]

Hon. Members have asked that the Prime Minister comes to the House on Wednesday. He will be doing that.

[Barry Gardiner (Brent North) (Lab)]

The right hon. Lady has sought to distinguish the probity of the appointments made by Sir Paul Stephenson and those made by the Prime Minister on the grounds that there is a proper distance between those being investigated and those doing the investigation. Does she agree that there should also be a proper distance between the law-makers in this country and those suspected of lawbreaking?

[Mrs May]

I say what I said earlier about the difference between the Government and the Metropolitan police. The Metropolitan police were in the process of investigating —or had been investigating—the News of the World for alleged wrongdoing. It is right, therefore, that we should look at drawing a line between the investigators and the investigated.