Press Association
Saturday 4th July 2009
Plans by Speaker Michael Martin to set up a committee to look into last week's police raid at the House of Commons are hanging in the balance after Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg announced his party will boycott it.
Both Lib Dems and Conservatives are angry over Government plans to ensure Labour dominates the seven-member committee, as well as Leader of the Commons Harriet Harman's insistence that it must not start its deliberations until the police investigation and any criminal proceedings are concluded.
Mr Clegg said that a "neutered" committee of this kind would not serve the public interest, while Tory Commons leader Theresa May warned that it might not even meet for months.
Mr Martin announced the establishment of the committee in a dramatic statement on Wednesday, when he informed MPs of the sequence of events which led to Conservative immigration spokesman Damian Green's Westminster office being searched by police investigating alleged leaks of Home Office secrets.
The Speaker revealed that the Metropolitan Police did not have a warrant and expressed "regret" that they were admitted to the Palace of Westminster by Serjeant at Arms Jill Pay without his personal authority.
He said he would personally nominate seven "senior and experienced MPs" to look into the affair and report to the Commons "as soon as possible".
But there was anger on Thursday when Ms Harman published the motion to establish the committee, which is due to be debated in the Commons on Monday. The motion states that the committee will "reflect the composition of the House" - suggesting ministers intend it to be made up of four Labour MPs, two Conservatives and one Lib Dem.
And it says that "the committee must not in any way prejudice any police inquiry or potential criminal proceedings and... therefore it will be adjourned immediately until the completion of any relevant inquiry or proceedings that may follow".
Mrs May told the Commons that the motion to establish the body bore "no resemblance" to what MPs believed would be a "speedy and immediate" investigation.
