David Davis questions the Government’s policy on releasing whistleblowers’ metadata

The Rt Hon Davis MP has questioned the Government’s policy on releasing whistleblowers’ communications metadata when they contact their MP, which could be used to identify them and put their livelihoods at risk. At Cabinet Office Questions he asked:

“The Wilson Doctrine is a convention whereby government agencies do not intercept communications with members of parliament without explicit approval from the Prime Minister. In a letter to my hon Friend the member for Enfield North in 2012 the minister told that member that the Wilson doctrine did not apply to meta data thereby exposing whistleblowers to risks Parliamentary Privilege should protect them from. Will he review this policy discuss it with the Prime Minister and report back to this House?”

The Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude responded: “I absolutely understand the point my rt hon Friend makes and I will undertake to look at this with my rt hon Friend the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister.”