House of Commons Speaker Michael Martin has said he "regrets" that police were allowed to search Tory MP Damian Green's office without a warrant.
He told MPs that a parliamentary official had allowed a raid by signing a consent form.
Mr Martin said he had known in advance about the raid and Mr Green's arrest, but he had not been told the police did not have a search warrant.
He has referred the issue of seizure of material to a committee of senior MPs.
'Bad day for democracy'
Mr Martin also promised that, in future, a warrant would be required before searches were carried out on Commons property.
"Every case must be referred for my personal decision, as it is my responsibility," he added.
Mr Green, shadow immigration minister, was arrested and held for nine hours last Thursday as part of a police inquiry into Home Office leaks.
Many MPs have expressed outrage, saying that the independence of MPs has been compromised.
Raising a point of order, Mr Green told the Commons it would be a "bad day for democracy in this country" if MPs could not exposed information that ministers preferred to keep hidden.
I was not told that the police did not have a warrant
Michael Martin
Mr Green added: "Those who have the real power in this country - ministers, senior civil servants and the police - are also not beyond the law and beyond scrutiny.
"An MP endangering national security would be a disgrace. An MP exposing embarrassing facts about Home Office policy which ministers are hiding is doing a job in the public interest."
The MP for Ashford was arrested and held for nine hours last Thursday - on suspicion of conspiring to commit misconduct in public office and on suspicion of aiding and abetting misconduct in public office - while all his homes and offices were searched.
Mr Green denies any wrongdoing.
Phone call
In his statement, the Speaker said the Metropolitan Police had told the Serjeant at Arms, Jill Pay, last Wednesday that they were contemplating arresting an MP but had not given their identity.
Mr Martin said Ms Pay had told him in the strictest confidence that an MP might be held and charged but no further details had been given.
At 7am on Thursday, the police called Ms Pay again and explained the background to the case and named Mr Green as the MP in question.
She then informed the Speaker of this and that a search might take place of his Commons office.
Mr Green was arrested in the afternoon, when the raids were carried out.
But Mr Martin said: "I was not told that the police did not have a warrant [for the Commons search]."
'Not asked'
He added that the police did not explain, as they should have done, that the serjeant at arms was not obliged to consent to the search - or that a warrant should have been insisted upon.
"I regret that a consent form was then signed by the serjeant at arms without consulting the clerk of the House," Mr Martin said.
"I must make it clear to the House that I was not asked the question of whether consent should be given or whether a warrant should have been insisted on," he said.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has said she had no prior knowledge of Mr Green's arrest.
She, and Prime Minister Gordon Brown, have said it would be improper for ministers to become involved in police investigations.
In the Commons, Conservative leader David Cameron said: "It's no good for the prime minister to hide behind 'I was only supporting the independence of the police'.
"People want to know whether our democracy, our right to know and our right to expose are safe with this prime minister."
Former Conservative leader Michael Howard said MPs on all sides felt "outrage" at the arrest of Mr Green.
He told MPs that a parliamentary official had allowed a raid by signing a consent form.
Mr Martin said he had known in advance about the raid and Mr Green's arrest, but he had not been told the police did not have a search warrant.
He has referred the issue of seizure of material to a committee of senior MPs.
'Bad day for democracy'
Mr Martin also promised that, in future, a warrant would be required before searches were carried out on Commons property.
"Every case must be referred for my personal decision, as it is my responsibility," he added.
Mr Green, shadow immigration minister, was arrested and held for nine hours last Thursday as part of a police inquiry into Home Office leaks.
Many MPs have expressed outrage, saying that the independence of MPs has been compromised.
Raising a point of order, Mr Green told the Commons it would be a "bad day for democracy in this country" if MPs could not exposed information that ministers preferred to keep hidden.
I was not told that the police did not have a warrant
Michael Martin
Mr Green added: "Those who have the real power in this country - ministers, senior civil servants and the police - are also not beyond the law and beyond scrutiny.
"An MP endangering national security would be a disgrace. An MP exposing embarrassing facts about Home Office policy which ministers are hiding is doing a job in the public interest."
The MP for Ashford was arrested and held for nine hours last Thursday - on suspicion of conspiring to commit misconduct in public office and on suspicion of aiding and abetting misconduct in public office - while all his homes and offices were searched.
Mr Green denies any wrongdoing.
Phone call
In his statement, the Speaker said the Metropolitan Police had told the Serjeant at Arms, Jill Pay, last Wednesday that they were contemplating arresting an MP but had not given their identity.
Mr Martin said Ms Pay had told him in the strictest confidence that an MP might be held and charged but no further details had been given.
At 7am on Thursday, the police called Ms Pay again and explained the background to the case and named Mr Green as the MP in question.
She then informed the Speaker of this and that a search might take place of his Commons office.
Mr Green was arrested in the afternoon, when the raids were carried out.
But Mr Martin said: "I was not told that the police did not have a warrant [for the Commons search]."
'Not asked'
He added that the police did not explain, as they should have done, that the serjeant at arms was not obliged to consent to the search - or that a warrant should have been insisted upon.
"I regret that a consent form was then signed by the serjeant at arms without consulting the clerk of the House," Mr Martin said.
"I must make it clear to the House that I was not asked the question of whether consent should be given or whether a warrant should have been insisted on," he said.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has said she had no prior knowledge of Mr Green's arrest.
She, and Prime Minister Gordon Brown, have said it would be improper for ministers to become involved in police investigations.
In the Commons, Conservative leader David Cameron said: "It's no good for the prime minister to hide behind 'I was only supporting the independence of the police'.
"People want to know whether our democracy, our right to know and our right to expose are safe with this prime minister."
Former Conservative leader Michael Howard said MPs on all sides felt "outrage" at the arrest of Mr Green.
The Speaker of the House is a well educated man, well versed in ALL the procedures concerning the smooth running and operation of Parliament...
Now he wants us to believe...
1. That he never knew the Police didn`t have a warrant or that they needed a warrant to search an MP`s office.
2. That he alone knew in advance that the MP in question was about to be arrested!
Does he really believe the British people are that stupid, after the torrents of lies told by this government, does he or the new labour government think that this will be laid to rest?
More truth will emerge and finally we might see new labour for what they truly are...conniving, manipulating liars.
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2 comments:
"The Speaker of the House is a well educated man..."
Sorry Gareth he certainly is NOT.
He's Gorbals Mick and a fooking moron.
I was being sarcastic Mr Blue Sky
Yes the man is an idiot and a disgrace to thejob.
I would take Ming Campbell any day of the week
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