§ Mr. Campbell-Savoursasked the Attorney-General if he will prosecute Lord Rothschild under section 7 of the Official Secrets Act 1920 for soliciting Mr. Peter Wright, by means of an offer of money, to pass documents known or believed to contain official secrets relating to the security services, to Mr. Chapman Pincher; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Attorney-GeneralI am considering with the Director of Public Prosecutions the allegations that have been made.
§ Mr. Campbell-Savoursasked the Attorney-General (1) if he will now say why Arthur Martin was not prosecuted for breaching confidence on security matters in statements to Rupert Allason prior to New Year's Day 1983;
(2) if he will now say why Arthur Martin was not prosecuted for breaching confidence on security matters in statements to Rupert Allason after the publication of "A Matter of Trust".
§ The Attorney-GeneralI reached my decision not to prosecute Arthur Martin for supplying information to Rupert Allason because I was satisfied that it would not be in the public interest to prosecute.
§ Mr. Campbell-Savoursasked the Attorney-General why he delayed taking action to prevent the publication of the book "One Girl's War", by Joan Miller, in the Irish Republic.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe Government are taking active steps to seek the prevention of the publication and distribution of this book.
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§ Mr. Campbell-Savoursasked the Attorney-General, pursuant to his answers of 20 November, Official Report, columns 263–5, what criteria were used in deciding on the respective action to be taken in relation to (a) Mr. Nigel West, Mr. Ronnie Symonds, Sir Martin Furnival Jones, Mr. Neil Blair and Mr. Anthony Simkins, on the one hand, and (b) those persons listed in the answer in columns 264 and 265, on the other, in respect of allegations relating to the unauthorised use or disclosure of information about the security services.
§ The Attorney-GeneralI agreed with the Director of Public Prosecutions that he would ask the Metropolitan Police to investigate certain statements attributed in recent press articles to Mr. Nigel West (some of them as direct quotations) where it appeared that he might be claiming to have in his possession certain security service documents. Because his claims implied that these documents might have been given to him by certain other named individuals I asked the Director of Public Prosecutions to consider the position in relation to these individuals in the light of the result of the police investigation referred to above. Nigel West's claims did not involve the other 18 individuals named in my answer in columns264 and 265 and for the action taken in the case of these individuals I refer the hon. Gentleman to that answer.
§ Mr. Campbell-Savoursasked the Attorney-General on what date Sir Robert Armstrong was informed by Sir Richard Franks that the book "Their Trade is Treachery" was to be published.
§ The Attorney-GeneralIt would be inappropriate for me to comment on matters which are or may be at issue in the proceedings concerning the Peter Wright case in Australia while those proceedings continue.
§ Mr. Campbell-Savoursasked the Attorney-General on what date he first knew of and saw, respectively, the internal M 15 report discussing Lord Rothschild's rôle in the publication of the book "Their Trade is Treachery" by Chapman Pincher.
§ The Attorney-GeneralIt is not the Government's policy to comment on matters of national security.
§ Mr. Campbell-Savoursasked the Attorney-General whether he proposes to take any steps against Sir Dick White, Mr. Arthur Martin or Mr. George Russel Leigh in respect of information on MI5 which they have given to authors.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe matter remains under consideration.
§ Mr. Campbell-Savoursasked the Attorney-General (1) whether he proposes to take any steps against Colonel William Skarden in respect of information of MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department he has given to authors;
(2) whether he proposes to take any steps against Andrew King in respect of information on MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department he has given to authors;
(3) whether he proposes to take any steps against Colonel Leo Long in respect of information on MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department he has given to authors;
394W(4) whether he proposes to take any steps against Lord Rothschild in respect of information on MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department he has given to authors;
(5) whether he proposes to take any steps against Sir Robert McKenzie in respect of information on MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department he has given to authors;
(6) whether he proposes to take any steps against Sir Ashton Roskill in respect of information on MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department he has given to authors;
(7) whether he proposes to take any steps against Mr. Russell Lee in respect of information on MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department he has given to authors;
(8) whether he proposes to take any steps against Mr. Christopher Haines in respect of information on MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department he has given to authors;
(9) whether he proposes to take any steps against Mr. William Luke in respect of information on MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department he has given to authors;
(10) whether he proposes to take any steps against Mr. Stephen Demowbray in respect of information on MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department he has given to authors;
(11) whether he proposes to take any steps against Lord Dacre in respect of information on MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department he has given to authors;
(12) whether he proposes to take any steps against Mr. George Carey Foster in respect of information on MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department he has given to authors;
(13) whether he proposes to take any steps against Mr. John Cairncross in respect of information on MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department he has given to authors;
(14) whether he proposes to take any steps against Mr. Malcolm Muggeridge in respect of information on MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department he has given to authors;
(15) whether he proposes to take any steps against Lord Clanmorris in respect of information on MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department he has given to authors;
(16) whether he proposes to take any steps against Mr. T. A. R. Robertson in respect of information on MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department he has given to authors;
(17) whether he proposes to take any steps against Mr. Nigel Burgess in respect of information on MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department he has given to authors;
(18) whether he proposes to take any steps against Constance Burgess in respect of information on MI5, MI6 or any other security agency or department she has given to authors.
§ The Attorney-GeneralI have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Gentleman in relation to the same persons on 20 November 1986.