HC Deb 12 March 2001 vol 364 c497W
Mr. Peter Bottomley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what involvement he has had in the case of Dr. Ali Dizaei; [152396]

(2) if ministers authorised telephone tapping of Dr. Ali Dizaei; [152389]

(3) which Ministers were briefed on the surveillance of Dr. Ali Dizaei, indicating when they were told and what were they told. [152388]

Mr. Straw

The suspension of Dr. Dizaei is a matter for the Metropolitan police. It has been the longstanding practice of successive Governments neither to confirm nor deny whether a warrant authorising interception of communications exists, or has existed, in any specific case.