CONSERVATIVE
New Forest East

BUSINESS QUESTION – JO MOORE LEAK - 28 February 2002

BUSINESS QUESTION – JO MOORE LEAK - 28 February 2002

Dr Julian Lewis: Does the Leader of the House [Robin Cook] accept that there is one item of unfinished business arising from the Jo Moore affair, and I do not thereby refer to the impending reshuffling of the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions? I refer to the leak inquiry which was commissioned many weeks ago to find out who did the public service of revealing to the world the appalling e-mail that Jo Moore put out on 11 September, from which everything else flowed. May we have a statement from the Cabinet Office as to how this leak inquiry is progressing? May we know whether, if the culprit – so-called – is eventually identified, that person will suffer the same fate as Martin Sixsmith for daring to expose the truth about the twisters in the DTLR.

[Robin Cook: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for saying that only one matter remains from the Jo Moore affair. I will hold him and his entire party to that statement. It is my understanding that there was no particular inquiry within the Transport Department. [Hon. Members: "Why not?"] I merely – [Hon. Members: "Oh.] It could be that I am over-extending myself, but I would not expect such an inquiry to produce a particular result. What is important is that we make a success of ensuring that the Transport Department works together to meet the needs of the travelling public. I assure the hon. Gentleman that it is that, rather than a leak last September, that concerns people.]