Cameron calls for Green answers

Updated on 28 November 2008

By Channel 4 News

Shadow immigration minister Damian Green hits back over his arrest yesterday in connection to Home Office leaks.

Speaking at an event organised by the Policy Exchange think-tank, Cameron described the arrest of Green over suspected home office leaks as "extraordinary".

"Clearly the Speaker of the House was informed. I was informed seconds before Damian Green's office was entered by police officers. "I believe the mayor of London was told."

"Government ministers must be able to explain what they knew and whether they thought it was appropriate."

Green was questioned for nine hours following his arrest by Metropolitan Police officers, who were believed to have included members of the counter-terrorism team, at his home in Kent yesterday.

Speaking to reporters early this morning, he said: "I was astonished to have spent more than nine hours today under arrest for doing my job.

"I emphatically deny I have done anything wrong.

"I have many times made public information that the Government wanted to keep secret - information that the public has a right to know.

'I have many times made public information that the Government wanted to keep secret - information that the public has a right to know.'

Damian Green

"In a democracy, opposition politicians have a duty to hold the Government to account. I was elected to the House of Commons precisely to do that and I certainly intend to continue doing so."

Both Downing Street and the Home Office emphatically deny that either the prime minister Gordon Brown or home secretary Jacqui Smith had prior knowledge of the arrests.

This morning Brown told Sky News: "I had no prior knowledge, the Home Secretary had no prior knowledge, I know of no other minister who had any prior knowledge."

"I knew about it only after it had happened when I was told by the Permanent Secretary to the Civil Service that this had happened.

Watch Damian Green's statement

Green was arrested near his home in Ashford, Kent and taken for questioning to Belgravia police station in central London in connection with a series of embarrassing leaks at the Home Office.

These are thought to include:

revelations that 5,000 illegal immigrants were working as security guards and bouncers
news that an illegal immigrant was employed as a cleaner in the House of Commons
exposure of a whip's list of potential Labour rebels against 42-day detention for terror suspects
leaking of a letter from Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to Gordon Brown warning that the recession will spark a rise in crime

Scotland Yard confirmed that a 52 year-old man had been arrested "on suspicion of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office and aiding and abetting, counselling or procuring misconduct in a public office".

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: "Receiving information from government departments in the public interest and publicising it is a key part of any MP's role.

"This is the most worrying development for many years, with the potential to shift power even more conclusively from Parliament to the Government.

"It is also extraordinary considering Gordon Brown himself as shadow chancellor received and publicised many leaked official documents.

"It seems that either the law needs to be changed or the police have overstepped the mark."