Leveson Inquiry

Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 9 June 2016.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Chris Matheson Chris Matheson Labour, City of Chester 12:00, 9 June 2016

When part two of the Leveson inquiry will commence; and if he will make a statement.

Photo of John Whittingdale John Whittingdale The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

Criminal proceedings connected to the subject matter of the Leveson inquiry, including the appeals process, have not yet completed. We? have always been clear that these cases must conclude before we consider part 2 of the inquiry.

Photo of Chris Matheson Chris Matheson Labour, City of Chester

Let me pin down the Secretary of State. Are we saying that when criminal proceedings have finished, there will be a part 2 or there might be? He told us on 3 March that a decision

“about whether or not Leveson 2 should take place”—[Official Report, 3 March 2016; Vol. 606, c. 1097.]

will be taken afterwards. Is it when or whether?

Photo of John Whittingdale John Whittingdale The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

This is something that will need to be considered in detail once those cases have been concluded. There are still areas that were not fully explored in the original inquiry. There have obviously been events since the original inquiry, not least the proceedings in the courts. All these matters will need to be taken into account when we consider how best to proceed after the conclusion of those cases.

Photo of Keith Vaz Keith Vaz Chair, Home Affairs Committee, Chair, Home Affairs Committee

The Secretary of State was one of three Chairs of Select Committees, along with myself and the now Lord Alan Beith, who went to see the Prime Minister and we were given a cast-iron guarantee that there would be a part 2. I accept what the right hon. Gentleman says about criminal proceedings, which is exactly what the Home Secretary said on 16 December, but there is no reason why we should not have a timetable to prepare for the eventuality. These cases cannot go on for ever—even in our criminal justice system. There has to be an end. May we not have a timetable and perhaps the selection of a head of the inquiry so that we can begin that very important process?

Photo of John Whittingdale John Whittingdale The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

I am delighted to hear that the Home Secretary and I are singing from the same hymn sheet on this matter. I have talked to her about it, but that was at a time when it looked as if the cases were going to come to a conclusion in the reasonably near future. Fortunately, or unfortunately, new cases have been brought, and one or two of them have not even started yet, which makes it very difficult to put a timetable on developments. I obviously agree with right hon. Gentleman that these cases cannot go on indefinitely, but they are already going on rather longer than was initially anticipated.