---

Newspapers: Surveillance Methods

The Minister of State for Policing, Crime and Security (Mr David Hanson) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. In my Written Statement on 14 July 2009, I gave an undertaking that the House would be updated on any substantive development. On 16 July 2009, the Director of Public Prosecutions made a statement following the conclusion of the review that he announced on 9 July 2009. He had concluded that in the light of the findings, set out in the statement, it would not be appropriate to reopen the cases against Goodman and Mulcaire or to revisit the decisions taken in the course of investigating and prosecuting them. A copy of the full statement by the Director of Public Prosecutions will be made available in the Library of the House. The Metropolitan Police Service has also written in response to detailed questions about the police investigation to both the Home Affairs and the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committees. In my Statement on 14 July, I also reported that the Independent Police Complaints Commission had received a complaint from the honourable Member for Eastleigh about police action in this case and was considering whether there were any issues raised that might fall within its remit. That complaint has been passed to the Metropolitan Police Service for its consideration with the honourable Member’s consent. The MPS will now make a decision as to whether the complaint is recordable under the Police Reform Act 2002 and whether it should refer any matter to the IPCC. The MPS will update the honourable Member for Eastleigh directly.