HC Deb 19 February 1985 vol 73 cc431-2W
Mr. Madden

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what classification the papers from his Department sent by Mr. Ponting to an hon. Member carried; what are the normal reporting procedures observed in his Department when such information is discovered to have passed to a person whom his Department regards as being unauthorised to receive it; and what reporting procedures there are for notifying officials and Ministers in other Departments, including Law Officers;

(2) when officials in his Department first became aware that papers from his Department had been passed to an hon. Member; when Ministers in his Department first were informed that papers from the Department had been passed to an hon. Member; when officials in his Department first informed officials in any other Department that papers from his Department had been passed to an hon. Member; and when he or other Ministers first informed anybody in other Departments, including the Law Officers' Department, that papers from his Department had been passed to an hon. Member.

Mr. Heseltine

I shall write to the hon. Member.

Mrs. Clwyd

asked the Secretary of State for Defence on what date he was first made aware that a leak of official information from his Department had taken place during the summer of 1984; how this information was communicated to him; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Heseltine

I assume the hon. Member is referring to events which led to the recent trial of Mr. Clive Ponting.

I was advised orally by the Chairman of the House of Commons Select Committee on Foreign Affairs on 26 July 1984 that what appeared to be copies of official documents had been passed to him by the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell).

Mrs. Clwyd

asked the Secretary of State for Defence on what date he was first made aware that the papers relating to a leak of official information in his Department in the summer of 1984 had been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions; how this information was communicated to him; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Heseltine

I assume the hon. Member is referring to events leading to the recent trial of Mr. Clive Ponting.

The second permanent under-secretary of state advised me orally on the afternoon of 13 August 1984 that the matter had been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions.