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Video briefing: who is Babar Ahmad? | Bugging explained

A decision to bug a conversation between a Labour MP and a constituent who was in prison was taken by police and was not authorised by ministers, MPs were told today.

But the conversation was not - as previously thought - a breach of 40 year old rules barring the bugging of MPs because the interception did not have to be approved by ministers.

Senior MPs had been under the impression that the Wilson doctrine - enunciated by the former Prime Minister Harold Wilson in 1966 - barred eavesdropping on MPs by the security forces.

Officials made clear today that it applied originally to the tapping of telephones and, even when updated by Gordon Brown last September, still did not apply to tapping that was not subject to approval by ministers.

It emerged that the bugging of the alleged conversations involving the MP Sadiq Khan and Babar Ahmad at Woodhill prison applied to circumstances that would have required the approval of a chief police officer, supervised by the Chief Surveillance Commissioner, rather than by ministers.

The doctrine protecting MPs’ conversations and mail applies only to operations which require the authorisation of a Secretary of State, Jack Straw told MPs. He stressed that in the case of eavesdropping operations authorisation was required only by a chief police office and ministers played no part.

“Where any operation involves the use of premises of HM Prison Service, neither the service, nor the minister concerned are asked for any additional authorisation for the particular operation,” said Mr Straw.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s spokesman said that there may still be implications for the doctrine.

He said: “We need to establish what the full facts are and what the implications are for the doctrine. The Government thinks it’s important there is a full and thorough inquiry.”

The Justice Secretary announced Chief Surveillance Commissioner Sir Christopher Rose is to head an inquiry into the allegations.

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