Following the Government statement on the loss of Ministry of Defence classified documents by a senior official last week, James Sunderland tells MPs that as the incident must have involved the deliberate removal of pink - secret - documents from the MOD secure area, the culprit, when identified, must be held fully to account.
James Sunderland (Bracknell) (Con)
Recent incidents would appear to suggest that the MOD has some difficulty in safeguarding the nation’s secrets. Aside from the loss of documents, there would also have had to be a deliberate act in removing pink paper from a secure area. Will the Minister please confirm that when the culprit is proven to be negligent, he or she will be invited to walk the plank?
Jeremy Quin (The Minister for Defence Procurement)
I understand my hon. and gallant Friend’s concern, which will be shared by other hon. and gallant Members and by his former serving colleagues, but I think it is important that we have the investigation and find out exactly what is at fault. That also includes an examination of our policies and procedures to make certain that they are fit for purpose.