Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, if he will make it his policy that people who have signed the Official Secrets Act should not be prosecuted for reporting information relating to possible child sex abuse offences.

It would not be appropriate to give a blanket undertaking that people who have signed the Official Secrets Act should not be prosecuted for reporting information relating to possible child sex abuse offences. However, I can, and have, given undertakings to public inquiries that, in certain circumstances, such prosecutions will not take place.

In other cases the decision to prosecute alleged offences of this kind will be made by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) using the two stage test set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors. Firstly, is there sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and, if so, is a prosecution needed in the public interest. A factor when considering the public interest would be any reason given for the alleged breach.

Most offences under the Official Secrets Acts require my consent to prosecute. Therefore if the CPS did wish to bring proceedings they would need to seek my approval for those offences.