§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are used by him in deciding whether a premature disclosure of information from his Department should be investigated by the Metropolitan police.
§ Mr. Stanley[pursuant to his reply, 6 April 1984, c. 700]: The criterion would be the extent of the damage caused, or potentially caused, to the public interest by the disclosure. If it appeared that a prosecution might be justified, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Law Officers would be consulted before the police were requested to investigate the matter.