Blacklisting

Debate between Vince Cable and Cathy Jamieson

Wednesday 23rd January 2013 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

Let me just proceed a little more.

I should like to move on from that point and to ask, out of genuine curiosity, about the way in which this issue has surfaced in the form of an Opposition day debate. The Prime Minister was totally right to point out as a matter of fact that these things had happened before 2010, and I do not quite understand why that has caused such offence. Many of the issues that have been raised here relate to the conduct and behaviour of the Information Commissioner. As the hon. Member for Streatham and his colleagues know, those in the Information Commissioner’s Office are not Government officials responsible to Ministers; they are responsible to the House. The Information Commissioner is a different kind of animal from a Government Department. Many of the allegations relate to the courts, and to civil and criminal practice, for which we cannot take responsibility.

[Cathy Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab/Co-op)]

Will the Secretary of State give way?