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| Blackout system not used to suppress MP child abuse claims, says chairman | Blackout system not used to suppress MP child abuse claims, says chairman |
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| The new chairman of the committee that oversees Britain’s controversial media blackout system says there is no evidence to support claims that D-notices were issued to suppress child abuse allegations against the late Liberal MP Cyril Smith. | The new chairman of the committee that oversees Britain’s controversial media blackout system says there is no evidence to support claims that D-notices were issued to suppress child abuse allegations against the late Liberal MP Cyril Smith. |
| In his first interview as chairman of the Defence and Security Media Advisory Committee, the revamped body that issues the notices, Air Vice-Marshal Andrew Vallance alleged that the police may have issued fake D-notices. | |
| But there was “not a shred of evidence” that authorised notices were made, he said. | But there was “not a shred of evidence” that authorised notices were made, he said. |
| Don Hale, the former editor of the Bury Messenger, has said he obtained a dossier in the early 1980s about 16 high-profile political figures, including Smith, who appeared sympathetic to the Paedophile Information Exchange. Hale said special branch officers showed him a D-notice and warned him of imprisonment if he failed to hand over the dossier. | Don Hale, the former editor of the Bury Messenger, has said he obtained a dossier in the early 1980s about 16 high-profile political figures, including Smith, who appeared sympathetic to the Paedophile Information Exchange. Hale said special branch officers showed him a D-notice and warned him of imprisonment if he failed to hand over the dossier. |
| Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme on Friday, Vallance said: “We have been through the files from top to bottom several times, we haven’t found a shred of evidence to support that. I’m not saying that what Don Hale has said is false. What I’m saying is that if police officers were involved in serving a purported D-notice they were doing it without authorisation.” | |
| He pointed out that the D-notice system was a voluntary arrangement. “The issuing of D-notice advice never involves the police or judiciary because it is a non-statutory arrangement. There is no law to enforce it,” Vallance said. | He pointed out that the D-notice system was a voluntary arrangement. “The issuing of D-notice advice never involves the police or judiciary because it is a non-statutory arrangement. There is no law to enforce it,” Vallance said. |
| Vallance conceded the records of the committee, formerly known as the Defence, Press and Broadcasting Advisory Committee, were not complete. “The allegations that Don Hale refers to happened back in 1984. We’ve been through the files and several files are missing, admittedly, but that’s a red herring, because that’s just good housekeeping. The sort of files that are missing are administrative files. They are waste paper basically.” | |
| The system, which is aimed at stopping lives being put at risk, has been relaunched to include more media industry figures on its committee. It will also have a growing focus on counter-terrorism and intelligence. | The system, which is aimed at stopping lives being put at risk, has been relaunched to include more media industry figures on its committee. It will also have a growing focus on counter-terrorism and intelligence. |
| Vallance denied that governments used the system to suppress embarrassing revelations. He pointed out that it is his committee that issues D-notices, not the government. Vallance added: “There are 20 people on that committee of whom 15 are journalists representing all aspects of the UK media, so they have a big voice on the committee.” | |
| The relaunched committee comes after an increase in the number of cases relating to sensitive information about national intelligence rather than defence. Around 40% of the issues dealt with over the last 18 months were about security. | The relaunched committee comes after an increase in the number of cases relating to sensitive information about national intelligence rather than defence. Around 40% of the issues dealt with over the last 18 months were about security. |
| The changes follow a review of the process in the wake of the Guardian’s stories about mass surveillance by the security services based on leaks from the US whistleblower Edward Snowden. | The changes follow a review of the process in the wake of the Guardian’s stories about mass surveillance by the security services based on leaks from the US whistleblower Edward Snowden. |
| Asked whether the system was out of date in a post-Snowden media world, Vallance said: “According to the independent review, no it is not.” | Asked whether the system was out of date in a post-Snowden media world, Vallance said: “According to the independent review, no it is not.” |
| He added: “That review validated the system and confirmed that it continued to enjoy the confidence of government. The world has changed, the digital revolution has affected the D-notice system just as it has affected the media as a whole, but there are pluses and minuses to that.” |