Mr. Michael Ashcroft (Hansard, 16 July 1999)

§ Mr. Ruffley
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will conduct an inquiry into the disclosure of Foreign and Commonwealth Office documents referred to in press reports on 13 July, relating to Mr. Michael Ashcroft; [91544]
(2) if Special Advisers in his Department had access to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office documents referred to in press reports on 13 July relating to Mr. Michael Ashcroft. [91547]

§ Mr. Tony Lloyd
An inquiry was instituted on 13 July into the circumstances of the leak. We need to await the result of that inquiry. The rules applying to Ministers as regards access to papers of a previous Administration also apply to Special Advisers.

§ Mr. Ruffley
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the disclosure of Foreign and Commonwealth Office documents referred to in press reports on 13 July, relating to Mr. Michael Ashcroft, was authorised by Ministers. [91545]

§ Mr. Tony Lloyd
Ministers did not authorise the disclosure of the documents referred to, nor were they aware in advance of the unauthorised release of official documents.
366W

§ Mr. Ruffley
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Foreign and Commonwealth Office documents relating to Mr. Michael Ashcroft referred to in press reports of 13 July were disclosed by(a) Departmental Special Advisers, (b) another third party with the knowledge of Departmental Special Advisers and (c) other means. [91546]

§ Mr. Tony Lloyd
We are not aware who disclosed these documents. An inquiry is being conducted.