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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Murdock meets the British Parliment 3

Live text  Reporters: Justin Parkinson and Emma Griffiths

2006:
Well - it's the end of a long day in Parliament so we'll wrap up our live coverage of the day here. For those interested in a catch-up of Rebekah Brooks's appearance - you can watch back a clip here. Many thanks to everyone who joined us throughout the day and to those who contributed. The story continues tomorrow as David Cameron makes a statement on phone hacking in the Commons to be followed by another MPs' debate.
 
2003: The BBC's Andrew Neil
tweets: Did News Corp shares rise because investors were impressed with Rupert Murdoch or because it was so poor they think he will step aside?
 
1947:
A bit more on the Sean Hoare post mortem. Here is a statement from Hertfordshire constabulary: "Further toxicology results are now awaited and there is an on-going examination of health problems identified at the post mortem. Please note, toxicology reports can take some weeks and we cannot make any further comments on the post mortem, including the problems at this time."

1940:
John Whittingdale says he his glad the Murdochs and Rebekah Brooks did not just "sit in silence" as some had predicted they would - and all three had made important statements on the record.
 
1939: The Daily Telegraph's Christopher Hope
tweets: Blimey. Former Director of Public Prosecutions Ken Macdonald says evidence of criminalty was "blindingly obvious" in the Harbottle & Lewis file
1936:
Did the culture committee get the answers it wanted? Chairman John Whittingdale does not sound too sure, saying it "has taken our knowledge a little further - but it is going to be subject to a full judicial inquiry."
 
1934: The Daily Express's Patrick O'Flynn
: Still say this crisis will recede for Cameron - but he must realise he has little credit left in the bank with his backbenchers.
 
1931: Political hack James Macintyre
tweets: What an absolute joke. Not one question on chats to BSkyB bid with Cameron. Pathetic.
1930:
Labour MP Cathy Jamieson - who was blocked from joining the culture committee by a Tory MP last night - has now been approved by the Commons without objection. She was allowed to take part in today's final session for just one minute, taking her seat just as the session with Rebekah Brooks was coming to an end.

1927: Iain Watson Political correspondent, BBC News
Interesting the extent to which Rebekah Brooks distanced herself from Andy Coulson - including denying reports about News International subsidising his salary and running a mile from the suggestion that she put him forward for the post as David Cameron's communications chief.
1926:
Over at the home affairs committee, Keith Vaz is keen to bring a long day's proceedings to an end and questions to Dowler family lawyer Mark Lewis are wrapped up pretty quickly. Mr Vaz complements the lawyer on his work for the family and says their experience must have been "truly horrific".
1925:
As the session ends, Mrs Brooks asks the committee that, when she is free from legal constraints, it will invite her back so she can answer them in a fuller way. She also says it is important for the Dowler family and others that the current investigations get to the bottom of events.

1924: Iain Watson Political correspondent, BBC News
Rebekah Brooks closes the session with an apology - the line from both her and the Murdochs seems to be "this dreadful stuff happened on our watch but we are shocked and we are the ones to clear it up."
1921:
Breaking news on the death of ex-NoW journalist Sean Hoare: A post mortem has found "no evidence of third party involvement and the death is non-suspicious".
1919:
Mrs Brooks says it is "wholly unfair" to single out the News of the World as the only paper to have close relations with the police and politicians.
1919:
Mrs Brooks also says it is not true that Andy Coulson's salary was subsidised by News International - she says press reports to that effect are "incorrect".
1918:
Does Mrs Brooks "swap gossip" with Mr Cameron that might have been obtained by illegal means? Mrs Brooks says she has said that any social encounters with the prime minister saw only "wholly appropriate" conversations.
1918:
Mrs Brooks says it is "not true" that she suggested Mr Coulson be hired, as some press reports have suggested.
1917:
Back to the culture committee: Mrs Brooks says it is public knowledge that it was George Osborne's idea that the discussions over whether to employ Andy Coulson should begin after he left the News of the World.
1916:
With that, Mr Starmer concludes his evidence. Now it is the turn of Mark Lewis, one of the lawyers representing the family of Milly Dowler.
1916:
Down the corridor at the home affairs committee, Keir Starmer is asked whether he had any personal contacts with News International which may have compromised his ability to do his job. Mr Starmer says "absolutely not".
1914:
Mrs Brooks says she has never been horse riding with David Cameron and has no idea where the story came from - she says it's been suggested she owns a racehorse or some land with the prime minister: "I do not," she says. There's "a lot out there that isn't true" - particularly around her relationship with David Cameron, who she says is a "neighbour" and a "friend" but she has never had a conversation with him privately that anyone would disapprove of.
1913:
Mrs Brooks says she has never been to Downing Street while David Cameron has been PM but she went "regularly" under Gordon Brown and Tony Blair.

1912: Iain Watson Political correspondent, BBC News
Rebekah Brooks says she has never been to Downing St under David Cameron - but about six times a year under Gordon Brown
1912:
Asked by the home affairs committee whether the legal advice given to the police about potential prosecutions in cases of phone hacking was too "narrow", DPP Keir Starmer says this should never have "inhibited" any police investigation on the case.

1910:
Mrs Brooks says she and the Murdochs have come before the committee to try to explain "openly and honestly" what had happened - the committee's previous criticisms "had been felt"
1909:
Mrs Brooks says News International had stepped up its response to the phone hacking allegations and there would not now be a new police investigation, if the company had not handed over more details to the police
1908:
Did she know that former NoW reporter Neville Thurlbeck was a police informant, as cliamed in press reports earlier? "No," says Mrs Brooks, apparently surprised by the revelation: "Is that true?". Mr Davies says the Evening Standard is reporting that he was - based on court reports. Mrs Brooks says she's not even sure what it means - the press and police do exchange information for public interest, she says.

1906:
When she was chief executive, Mrs Brooks says her office was next to James Murdoch's and she spoke Rupert Murdoch, on average, "every other day".
1905:
Therese Coffey asks whether Mrs Brooks regrets any headlines she had published - Mrs Brooks say any editor in Fleet Street would have made some mistakes and she was no different. But having been in the spotlight herself, she says she would still defend the rights of a "free press".
1904:
Back at the culture committee, Tory MP Therese Coffey withdraws a question about who might yet be charged with crimes


1902: Labour MP Richard Burden
tweets: Rebekah Brooks at Culture Media and Sport Committee: "The Sun is a clean ship" - mmm...discuss. #hackgate
1902: VA from Birmingham
e-mails: Why was Rebekah Brookes allowed to hear James and Rupert Murdoch's testimony to the committee? Was it so that she could be familiar with the questions and their answers?


1901: June Kelly Home Affairs correspondent
A senior lawyer has told the Home Affairs Select Committee that material which News International handed over to the police last month contained evidence of serious criminal offences. After Scotland Yard received the file they launched Operation Elvedon - the investigation into alleged corrupt payments to police officers. It is running in conjunction with the inquiry into phone hacking. The top QC, Lord Macdonald of River Glaven, (the former Director of Public Prosecutions) was employed by News Corporation to examine the material. He said that when he told the board what was in the file they were stunned and shocked.
1900:
But, added the DPP, soon after that he had two phone conversations with Mr Yates about potential material in the case about which he had concerns.

1859:
Director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer is now being questioned by the Home Affairs Committee. He says he was not personally consulted by John Yates before the Met officer decided not to reopen the phone hacking inquiry in July 2009.
1859:
Mrs Brooks says if the former Sun political editor Trevor Kavanagh came to him with a leaked story without naming his sources "I knew it to be true" - because of his standing and experience as a journalist.
1858:
Mrs Brooks says any newsroom is "based on trust" - stories get published on trust and you rely on the people who work for you to behave "in a proper manner".
1857:
She says when the story allegedly based on hacking Milly's phone was run nine years ago - it was a single column on page nine of the newspaper, questions would have been asked of the reporter or news editor, the lawyer would have checked them. No-one would have said it came from an illegal voicemail interception, says the former NoW editor.
1856:
Mrs Brooks says she has to be careful about what she says about the Milly Dowler allegations due to legal proceedings - but repeats that they are "abhorrent" to her and were unknown to her at the time.
1855:
According to Bloomberg, News Corp shares are up 5.9% since opening in New York this morning.
1853:
Mr Bercow "has asked for the incident to be thoroughly investigated. It is wholly unacceptable that a member of the public should treat a witness in this way".
1853:
Commons speaker John Bercow is "very concerned at what has occurred" during Rupert Murdoch's hearing, he spokesman has said.

851:
Mrs Brooks says she does not recall calling Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre about it but they would discuss "industry matters" on occasion. She also denies telling London mayor Boris Johnson she wanted Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger to beg for her forgiveness: "Absolutely not".

1851:
Paul Farrelly refers to silence across Fleet Street about the coverage of the phone hacking allegations in 2009 - did Mrs Brooks encourage editors not to cover it?

1850:
"I don't know anyone ni their right mind who would authorise ... anyone listening to the voicemails of Milly Dowler in those circumstances," Mrs Brooks says.
1850:
"I don't know anyone ni their right mind who would authorise ... anyone listening to the voicemails of Milly Dowler in those circumstances," Mrs Brooks says.
1850: Editor of PoliticsHome.com, Paul Waugh,
tweets: Amazed MPs not pushing Brooks on how exactly private investigations commissioned by NoTW. What was chain of command, editorially, financially?
1849:
Asked about previous efforts by the company to respond to phone hacking allegations - Mrs Brooks says when they saw a new file it put a "new light" on matters and they had passed it on to police.
 
1848: Diana Pop in Romania
tweets: I've watched the News of the World phone-hacking hearings for hours straight and I'm still not getting anything solid.
1845:
Back to the committee: Was Mrs Brooks on holiday at the time Milly Dowler's phone was allegedly hacked? She denies the company put out any statements to that effect. She says she was away at the time but feels it was irrelevant because, as editor, it would have happened "on her watch". Andy Coulson was her deputy at the time.
1843:
Labour's Ivan Lewis has given his reaction to the news that Neil Wallis may have provided Andy Coulson with "informal" advice before the election: "This revelation raises further serious concerns about David Cameron's judgement in appointing Andy Coulson. He must now come clean about Neil Wallis' role and activities in supporting Andy Coulson, both in his capacity as director of communications for the Tory Party, and then the prime minister."
1840:
Mrs Brooks says her own phone messages were accessed by Glen Mulcaire on a regular basis - and she had the "same knowledge as everyone else" about it.

1839:
Mrs Brooks says the argument that there was only one "rogue reporter" involved in phone hacking was a "reality" at the time - based on the police investigation and trials.
1838:
Mrs Brooks tells Paul Farrelly - who used to work at the Observer before becoming an MP - the his old newspaper would also have used private detectives during his time there
1838:
Mrs Brooks says she was convinced "Sarah's Law" was in the public interest and that was the reason for her use of private detectives.

1835:
She says at the time she believed that on the Milly Dowler and Soham cases the press had respected the privacy of the families - but admits that looks ridiculous in hindsight: "Clearly these allegations, if true, are appalling and contradict the statement I made"
1835:
Mrs Brooks says Milly Dowler's disappearance was a "terrible" news story which had gone on for years, as the trial of Levi Bellfield has only just concluded.

1833: Iain Watson Political correspondent, BBC News
She clarified she first knew of the allegation that Milly Dowler's phone was hacked "two weeks ago" and wrote to Surrey Police.

1831: Iain Watson Political correspondent, BBC News
It may surprise some people that Rebekah Brooks can't remember exactly when she knew that Milly Dowler's phone had been hacked: "Last monday, maybe the monday before."
1830:
Tory MP Damian Collins asks about the Milly Dowler case - Mrs Brooks goes through how a newspaper handles a big story like that.
1830:
Labour's Jim Sheridan asks about missing emails at the trial of MSP Tommy Sheridan (no relation). Mrs Brooks says the Information Commissioner has said he is "entirely comfortable" with News International's response.
1828:
She says it could be a year or more before they "get to a position where we know what happened"
1825:
She says the newspaper had been in the headlines for the "wrong reasons" for too long - but stresses hundreds of journalists there were not culpable and says they are trying to find jobs for "everybody" across News Corporation.
1825:
Back to the committee hearing: Mrs Brooks praises the "very honourable" journalists at the News of the World who had been "baffled" by the decision to close it.
1824:
The party adds: "We are currently finding out the exact nature of any advice. We can confirm that apart from Andy Coulson, neither David Cameron nor any senior member of the campaign team were aware of this until this week."
1823:
In a statement, the Tory Party said neither Wallis or his company had been contracted to the party and no payments had been made to either of them. But he may have provided some informal advice on a voluntary basis before the election.
1820:
A bit of breaking news now: Hacking suspect Neil Wallis may have provided "informal advice" to David Cameron's communications chief Andy Coulson before the general election, the Conservative Party have said.
1819:
Labour MP Jim Sheridan asks about the closure of the News of the World. Mrs Brooks says it was a collective decision, which "we all took together" - with Rupert Murdoch.
1817:
She says she was editor of the Sun at the time and could say it was a "clean ship".
1817:
Mrs Brooks says there was a "fundamental change across most newspapers" in 2002/3 with changes to the Data Protection Act, particularly after the publication of the information commissioner's first report "What price privacy?," which exposed the trade in personal details.

1814:
Mrs Brooks stresses that News International is trying to put things right and says there should be a constant review of conduct and ethics of journalists
1812:
Louise Mensch refers to Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre's assertion - at a select committee on Mondy - that he had never sanctioned a story based on hacking or blagging. Mrs Brooks says she didn't see Mr Dacre's comments but out of all the media groups, News International has been the one to "openly welcome" an inquiry into all Fleet Street practices. She says she doesn't want to comment on other newspaper groups.
1811:
She says in her experience information from police comes "free of charge".
1810:
Mrs Brooks is asked whether payments to the police were widespread across newspapers or confined to News International. She says she has never paid a policeman or sanctioned a payment - a 2003 statement to MPs that she had referred to a "widely held belief" as opposed to practice, she explains.
1808:
Ms Mensch asks if it was not obvious that using PIs and illegal activities were part of a Fleet Street culture. Mrs Brooks says the failings of all newspapers in not understanding the extent of private investigators across Fleet Street has already been held to account. The "climate" was different now, she says.
1806:
Tory MP Louise Mensch asks about hacking and blagging - she says another former NoW editor Piers Morgan had admitted accessing phone messages while he was editor of the Daily Mirror. 
 
1805: Rebecca Bond
tweets: It's a bit of a worry that Brookes is getting her information from Panorama?
1805:
Mrs Brooks is asked if she has any regrets. She says: "Of course," referring to the alleged hacking of Milly Dowler's phone as "abhorrent".
1803:
Tom Watson suggests Mr Whittamore was involved in trying to get information on the Dowlers - Ms Brooks says she became aware of that two weeks ago. She says the number he was trying to track down was a business number and "widely known".
1802:
Mrs Brooks said she did have contact with another private investigator Steve Whittamore - she says her use of PIs while at the NoW was "purely legitimate" and mostly to do with tracking down convicted paeodophiles for her "Sarah's Law" campaign 
 
1801: The Daily Mail's Lara King
tweets: Surely tomorrow's splash will now be 'Humble Pie'?
1801:
Mrs Brooks says she does not know what Jonathan Rees did for the NoW - Tom Watson suggests that, as chief executive of the company, that seems incredible.
1800:
She says it "seems extraordinary" that Rees was rehired by the News of the World, after his conviction.
1800:
She says she had not met another private investigator - Jonathan Rees. "He wasn't a name familiar with me," she says - adding she is told he rejoinined the NoW in 2005/6 - and worked for various newspapers at the end of the 1990s.
1758:
Mrs Brooks says she first heard Glen Mulcaire's name in 2006. She said she knew of other private investigators, "but he was not one of them".
1758:
Mrs Brooks says she has never met with private investigator Glen Mulcaire - asked if Mr Mulcaire would deny it, she says: "I'm sure he would - it's the truth".
1756:
Asked how private detectives were paid - she says a managing editor allocates the budget to different departments, but will authorise payments - unless there is a big item, when an editor would get involved.
1754:
Tom Watson asks how extensively she worked with private investigators as editor of the Sun and NoW. Mrs Brooks says "not at all" on the Sun - she says in the late 90s private eyes were used by Fleet Street - but that was later reviewed. She adds: "The NoW employed PIs like most newspapers in Fleet Street"

1753: Iain Watson Political correspondent, BBC News
Hushed silence now as rebekah brooks gives evidence. MP Stephen Pound and former MP Quentin Davies in the audience but, apart from press, public excluded. Serjeant at arms has banned us from texting from the meeting.
1752:
She said outstanding civil cases were being dealt with a standards committee which had been set up, and another company which had handled the civil cases all along.
1752:
Tom Watson asks why News International legal manager Tom Crone was sacked - Mrs Brooks says he was not sacked but he was mainly a News of the World lawyer, and the paper was axed. Other titles had other lawyers and there was no job for Mr Crone when the newspaper closed.
1751:
Asked whether she had been lied to by senior employees - she says she doesn't want to "infer guilt" while criminal proceedings are under way.
1750:
Quite a few people seem to have left the public benches since the Murdochs left - there are empty seats behind Mrs Brooks.
1750:
Rebekah Brooks says News International acted "quickly and decisively" once it had discovered the extent of hacking and had tried to settle as many civil cases as possible.
 
1749: Jonnie Marbles
tweeted 21 minutes ago: It is a far better thing that I do now than I have ever done before #splat
1748:
Mrs Brooks is asked to reject a previous statement about whetehr NoW journalists had accessed mobile phone messages. Mrs Brooks says until the Sienna Miller documents emerged in 2010, senior management had not seen evidence relating to a current employee of the company.
1748:
She notes that her lawyer is with her so she does not "impede those criminal proceedings" - having been arrested at the weekend but she hopes to be as "open as possible".
1747:
Mrs Brooks - a former Sun and News of the World editor - begins by adding her apologies about what happened at the NoW, which she describes as "pretty horrific".
1747:
Here is a picture - courtesy of the BBC's Alan Connor - of the alleged perpetrator of the attempted foam pie attack on Rupert Murdoch.
Police officer arrests alleged perpetrator
1743:
 
Rebekah Brooks has taken her seat - Chairman John Whittingdale begins the session
 
1737: Shane Norman in Cirencester, UK
emails: Thank heavens for Louise Mensch and Tom Watson. Without their sharp, relevant, questions, this event would be entirely aimless.
1732:
The committee breaks for five minutes, after which Rebekah Brooks is due to appear.
 
1731: John Kirriemuir in Grinnell, Iowa, USA
emails: How come I can't take a small bottle of water onto a plane, but someone can attack the head of News Corp, in Parliament, with shaving foam?
1730:
When two men went to prison in 2007, Rupert Murdoch says, he thought the situation had been resolved.

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