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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Sir Gus surprised at MP's arrest | Sir Gus surprised at MP's arrest |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The head of the civil service has said he was surprised when police arrested senior Tory Damian Green as part of a Home Office leaks investigation. | The head of the civil service has said he was surprised when police arrested senior Tory Damian Green as part of a Home Office leaks investigation. |
| Sir Gus O'Donnell told MPs he was solely concerned about stopping the leaks, not where the probe would go. | Sir Gus O'Donnell told MPs he was solely concerned about stopping the leaks, not where the probe would go. |
| He insisted police were called because of national security fears, not because leaks were politically embarrassing. | He insisted police were called because of national security fears, not because leaks were politically embarrassing. |
| Sir Gus said a leading Conservative had said half the material the party received was too sensitive to publish. | |
| 'Worried' | |
| He said former shadow home secretary David Davis had said this during an interview in November. | |
| But Mr Davis's office told the BBC that - although about half of the leaked material had not been published - only some of these decisions had been made on national security grounds. | |
| Defending the decision to ask the police to investigate Home Office leaks, Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus told the public administration committee: "We were worried that certain information was getting out which was potentially very damaging to national security. | |
| "And to have access to some of the other things that had come out in the newspapers the kind of person that had access to that might well also have access to quite secret stuff." | "And to have access to some of the other things that had come out in the newspapers the kind of person that had access to that might well also have access to quite secret stuff." |
| I would strongly suggest, even advise... that you have every single special adviser in the Treasury investigated by the police Charles WalkerTory MP | |
| He said the issue had been "brought home" to him by an interview Mr Davis did with the BBC on 28 November - the day after Mr Green was arrested - in which he said much material the Tories received was not published because it was too sensitive. | He said the issue had been "brought home" to him by an interview Mr Davis did with the BBC on 28 November - the day after Mr Green was arrested - in which he said much material the Tories received was not published because it was too sensitive. |
| Sir Gus also pointed to a previous case in which a civil servant working in a police counter-terrorism unit had been jailed for leaking an intelligence report to a Sunday newspaper. | Sir Gus also pointed to a previous case in which a civil servant working in a police counter-terrorism unit had been jailed for leaking an intelligence report to a Sunday newspaper. |
| And there were "worrying" leaks about a police anti-terrorism operation, Operation Gamble, the root of which had not been discovered. | And there were "worrying" leaks about a police anti-terrorism operation, Operation Gamble, the root of which had not been discovered. |
| Police were only asked to get involved if leaks were "serious, persistent" and where the person concerned may have access to material affecting national security. | Police were only asked to get involved if leaks were "serious, persistent" and where the person concerned may have access to material affecting national security. |
| Conservative MP Charles Walker suggested he was happy to allow leaks that were favourable to the government, but took a stronger line against those that were not. | Conservative MP Charles Walker suggested he was happy to allow leaks that were favourable to the government, but took a stronger line against those that were not. |
| "I completely refute that," Sir Gus told the Commons Public Administration. | "I completely refute that," Sir Gus told the Commons Public Administration. |
| "I'm very upset by all leaks. It is important that the civil service is politically impartial and it's important we don't leak anything be it embarrassing, not embarrassing or national security." | "I'm very upset by all leaks. It is important that the civil service is politically impartial and it's important we don't leak anything be it embarrassing, not embarrassing or national security." |
| Political row | Political row |
| Leaks "undermine that confidence of ministers in the civil service" and were "corrosive and reduce the quality of debate inside government," he said. | Leaks "undermine that confidence of ministers in the civil service" and were "corrosive and reduce the quality of debate inside government," he said. |
| Mr Walker replied: "I would strongly suggest, even advise... that you have every single special adviser in the Treasury investigated by the police because some of them have clearly been leaking information that is helpful to the government." | Mr Walker replied: "I would strongly suggest, even advise... that you have every single special adviser in the Treasury investigated by the police because some of them have clearly been leaking information that is helpful to the government." |
| The hearing comes weeks after Mr Green was arrested by police, who had been asked by the Cabinet Office to investigate leaks from the Home Office. | The hearing comes weeks after Mr Green was arrested by police, who had been asked by the Cabinet Office to investigate leaks from the Home Office. |
| I was surprised, to be honest, yes. Sir Gus O'Donnell | I was surprised, to be honest, yes. Sir Gus O'Donnell |
| A civil servant, Christopher Galley, had been arrested but neither he nor Mr Green have been charged. | A civil servant, Christopher Galley, had been arrested but neither he nor Mr Green have been charged. |
| The arrest of an MP and police search of his Commons office prompted a huge political row, but Sir Gus said the decision to arrest Mr Green was a matter for the police. | The arrest of an MP and police search of his Commons office prompted a huge political row, but Sir Gus said the decision to arrest Mr Green was a matter for the police. |
| Asked if he was surprised about it, he replied: "I was surprised, to be honest, yes." | Asked if he was surprised about it, he replied: "I was surprised, to be honest, yes." |
| "Our interest is in stopping the source of the leaks... precisely where they [the police] go is neither here not there." | "Our interest is in stopping the source of the leaks... precisely where they [the police] go is neither here not there." |
| The committee's Labour chairman Tony Wright asked him why Tory leader David Cameron and the Conservative mayor of London Boris Johnson had been told about the arrest of Mr Green in advance, while the prime minister and home secretary were only told afterwards. | The committee's Labour chairman Tony Wright asked him why Tory leader David Cameron and the Conservative mayor of London Boris Johnson had been told about the arrest of Mr Green in advance, while the prime minister and home secretary were only told afterwards. |
| Sir Gus said he told the prime minister as soon as he knew, which was after the arrest took place. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith was in Brussels at the time and was informed as soon as was possible. | Sir Gus said he told the prime minister as soon as he knew, which was after the arrest took place. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith was in Brussels at the time and was informed as soon as was possible. |
| "This is something for the police to do ... it is their decision as to how they do their investigation." | "This is something for the police to do ... it is their decision as to how they do their investigation." |
| He stressed that he could not order the police to investigate leaks in the civil service, he could only ask them to consider it. | He stressed that he could not order the police to investigate leaks in the civil service, he could only ask them to consider it. |
| He said it was clear in a statement from Mr Galley's lawyer that he was "responsible for some leaks" but said inquiries were continuing. "It may be that there are other people who are responsible for others, we just don't know." | He said it was clear in a statement from Mr Galley's lawyer that he was "responsible for some leaks" but said inquiries were continuing. "It may be that there are other people who are responsible for others, we just don't know." |
| Asked about Mr Galley's history as a Conservative activist and whether that should have raised concerns during an internal leaks inquiry, he said previous political activity was no bar to working in the civil service. | Asked about Mr Galley's history as a Conservative activist and whether that should have raised concerns during an internal leaks inquiry, he said previous political activity was no bar to working in the civil service. |
| The job attracted people with an interest in politics but that was no reason to think they would ignore the civil service code, he said. | The job attracted people with an interest in politics but that was no reason to think they would ignore the civil service code, he said. |