§ 2.47 p.m.
Lord CAMPBELL of CROYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question 1023 which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what further action they intend to take concerning the security of Cabinet documents.
§ Lord SHEPHERDMy Lords, I suspect that my Answer will be less satisfactory, because I have nothing to add to the Statement that my right honourable friend the Prime Minister made in another place on Thursday, 1st July, and which was repeated in this House by my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor. I would remind noble Lords that the Prime Minister undertook to report further to the House.
Lord CAMPBELL of CROYMy Lords, we were grateful for that Statement last Thursday informing Parliament that the Government Are no nearer to finding out who was responsible for the leak of material from recent Cabinet documents; but as more than one noble Lord on that occasion raised the question of the status of the new category of political adviser, is the noble Lord aware that this is an opportunity fully to clarify this point? Most of those political advisers presumably have access to Cabinet papers because they work personally for senior Ministers. Have all political advisers now employed signified, in the way that civil servants have to, their acceptance of the fact that they are bound by the Official Secrets Act?
§ Lord SHEPHERDMy Lords, special advisers are civil servants and are bound by all the rules which govern the Civil Service in their responsibility for security in regard to papers, discussions and debates that may occur within their Departments. I believe that in respect to positive vetting what is required of civil servants in that position applies also to them.
§ The Earl of LAUDERDALEMy Lords, will the noble Lord clarify one point that was left open the other day; that is, which were the three Departments which were guilty of having breached the rules of handling these documents? Everyone would want to know that.
§ Lord SHEPHERDMy Lords, the noble Earl might wish to know, so would I. I will see whether I can find the information and let the noble Earl have it.
§ Lord SHINWELLMy Lords, in view of the suggestion if not the innuendo—and I would not regard the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Croy, as blameless in the matter—that the political advisers were responsible for the leak, is my noble friend aware that long before any political advisers were associated with Ministers there were many leaks? Is he also aware that most of the leaks have taken place when a Labour Government were in office and there are very few leaks when the Convervatives are in Office?
§ Lord SHEPHERDMy Lords, there I have to disagree with my noble friend. The record shows that Administrations, whether Conservative or Labour, have about the same number of leaks. I suppose it may depend upon the nature of the leak. I am glad to have the intervention of my noble friend because there is no evidence that special advisers themselves were involved in this matter. The inquiry which is now taking place will encompass all those who were questioned and maybe others: Ministers, special advisers and civil servants. As I said in the earlier Statement, I hope that we can bring this matter to a proper conclusion. I hope that we are able to identify the person who broke the breach of trust because, as the Minister responsible for the Civil Service, I am deeply conscious that there are many who serve us most faithfully who are under a sense of cloud and will remain so until the person who made this particular breach has been found.
Lord CAMPBELL of CROYMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that I intended no innuendo concerning any particular category? This was a matter about which several noble Lords were concerned because it is an innovation in our system. Will the noble Lord comment on reports that a number of bodies outside Parliament have stated that from time to time quantities of classified information from the Government have been delivered to them anonymously?
§ Lord SHEPHERDMy Lords, I saw some of these allegations. I must say that 1025 what I read did not come in any way into the category of the material we are now discussing; and much of that material could well concern matters between local authorities and central Government. I am grateful for what the noble Lord has said about special advisers. They are in no different category than those whom the previous Administration appointed from business to advise them. They are civil servants and in this regard they are hound by all the rules and conventions of the Civil Service. There are no exceptions whatsoever.