HC Deb 31 March 1999 vol 328 cc795-7W
Mr. Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) on the basis of whose request the hon. Member for Inverness, East, Nairn and Lochaber (Mr. Stewart) agreed to let the Secretary of State see extracts from the Scottish Affairs Committee report on Multi-Layer Democracy (HC 460 of Session 1997–98); [79353]

(2) if he, other Ministers or advisers contacted any other members of the Scottish Affairs Committee seeking information on its report on Multi-Layer Democracy (HC 460 of Session 1997–98) prior to its publication; [79354]

(3) if he initiated the contact with the hon. Member for Inverness, East, Nairn and Lochaber (Mr. Stewart), which led to him receiving extracts from the Scottish Affairs Committee report on Multi-Layer Democracy (HC 460 of Session 1997–98); [79355]

(4) if he will list the people in his Department who saw the leaked copy of the Scottish Affairs Committee report on Multi-Layer Democracy (HC 460 of Session 1997–98) prior to publication and the approximate dates when this occurred; [79356]

(5) what use (a) he, (b) his Ministers and (c) his advisers made of the leaked copy of the Scottish Affairs Committee report on Multi-Layer Democracy (HC 460 of Session 1997–98) in briefing the press. [79352]

Mr. Dewar

[holding answer 30 March 1999]: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 24 March 1998, Official Report, column 324.

The Herald newspaper carried extensive extracts from the Select Committee's report on 26 November, together with a feature and a leading article on the subject. The newspaper confirmed to my office that it had a leaked copy of the entire report. The story was followed up by many Scottish and UK newspapers and by the broadcast media.

As a result of that coverage, I received many requests for a response from journalists and complaints from members of the Select Committee who felt that the press reports misrepresented their position. This led me to comment, when approached by journalists during an unrelated engagement on the morning of 26 November, that the report appeared to have been subject to selective quotation.

I spoke to my hon. Friend the Member for Inverness, East, Nairn and Lochaber (Mr. Stewart) later that day. Our conversation centred on his disquiet and that of other Members of the Committee about the leaking of the report and the omission from the quoted extracts of the sole conclusion, which he described to me.

At the time of our conversation, the report had already been made to the House, was at the printers, had been leaked in its entirety, had been extensively quoted and commented on in the press and was the subject of many requests for comments made to my office. It was already in the public domain, and the possibility of influencing its contents, which would have been wholly improper, could not arise.

My conversation with my hon. Friend was on that basis. To the best of my recollection, I asked him if he could confirm the accuracy of the quotations and findings of which I was already aware. Given the concerns which he had already expressed to me, my hon. Friend said that he was prepared to give that confirmation. He told me he would do so after consulting the report, which he did not then have to hand. Relevant extracts were sent by fax to my office a short time later. They were seen by no-one other than me, staff in my Private Office and my Special Advisers and no further use was made of them.

Mr. Swayne

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he asked the hon. Member for Inverness, East, Nairn and Lochaber (Mr. Stewart) to show him a pre-publication copy of the report of the Scottish Affairs Committee into Multi-Layer Democracy (HC 460 of Session 1997–98); and if he will make a statement. [79351]

Mr. Dewar

[holding answer 30 March 1999]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided to the right hon. Member for Penrith and The Border (Mr. Maclean) today, Official Report, column 796.