National Security Council Leak Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Cabinet Office

National Security Council Leak

Victoria Prentis Excerpts
Thursday 2nd May 2019

(4 years, 12 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts

Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

David Lidington Portrait Mr Lidington
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

As I said in response to an earlier question, the role of the Attorney General under the Official Secrets Act is not to authorise or initiate investigations, but to give or withhold consent for a prosecution if and when a finished case is presented to him.

Victoria Prentis Portrait Victoria Prentis (Banbury) (Con)
- Hansard - -

I know from sitting firmly on the other side of the official-ministerial divide how hard it is to get officials, let alone our allies, to share important, and particularly secret, information with Ministers at all. Does my right hon. Friend agree that what matters is that we protect the integrity of the National Security Council if it is to operate at all properly?

David Lidington Portrait Mr Lidington
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Yes, I agree wholeheartedly with my hon. Friend.