Metropolitan Police Service Debate

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Department: Home Office

Metropolitan Police Service

Bob Stewart Excerpts
Monday 18th July 2011

(13 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Baroness May of Maidenhead Portrait Mrs May
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I say to the right hon. Gentleman that the legislation under which Londoners are confused was introduced by the Government in which he was a Minister. This Government are now clarifying the position under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill. We will streamline the arrangements that exist in relation to appointments and the position of the police and crime commissioner in London. However, the appointment of the commissioner and deputy commissioners will remain, as it is today, a final decision of the Home Secretary.

Bob Stewart Portrait Bob Stewart (Beckenham) (Con)
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As I understand it, Lord Justice Leveson’s terms of reference are restricted to phone hacking. I wonder whether it is possible for the inquiry to look also at hacking into e-mails and the illegal acquisition of information such as medical documents.

Baroness May of Maidenhead Portrait Mrs May
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My hon. Friend is not the first to raise the issue of the remit of the Leveson inquiry. It will cover the culture, practices and ethics of the press, as well as the relationship of the press to the police and issues of regulation. So I would expect that it would indeed be able to look wider than just the issue of phone hacking.