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Matt Hancock affair: Camera that caught aide kiss has been disabled, as MPs are told the device was an "outlier"

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland earlier revealed he had asked for his office to be checked for devices.

Sophie Morris
Political reporter @itssophiemorris
Monday 28 June 2021 17:00, UK
https://news.sky.com/story/matt-hancock-affair-camera-that-caught-aide-kiss-has-been-disabled-says-new-health-secretary-12343880

The camera that caught Matt Hancock kissing his aide has been disabled, new health secretary Sajid Javid says.

Mr Javid said the device has been "disabled by the department", adding that he does not believe ministers' offices should have cameras fitted.

It comes as a cabinet office minister told MPs the camera in Mr Hancock's office was an "outlier" and that it was not general policy for recording devices to be put in ministerial offices.

Asked about the device on Monday morning, Mr Javid said: "I haven't disabled the camera that you are talking about, but it has been disabled by the department.

"I think for security it is just common sense… I don't think, as a general rule, there should be cameras in the secretary of state's office.

"I've never known that in the other five departments that I've run and I am not really sure why there was one here.

"But I am sure there will be more to this as the whole incident is investigated."

Earlier on Monday, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told Sky News he had asked for his office to be swept for "unauthorised devices" following the recording and leaking of footage of Matt Hancock from within the Department of Health and Social Care.

"I've never seen any camera facilities. I know there is CCTV in the building for obvious security reasons, but I am sure that many of my colleagues will be asking the same question and making sure that the offices are swept just in case there are unauthorised devices in there that could be a national security breach," the justice secretary said.

"I think that is the sensible thing to do."

Quizzed on when he asked whether there are cameras in his office, Mr Buckland added: "I asked on Friday, so I expect to have those answers later today."

Ministers should have a "safe space" to work, he said.

Later in the morning, Mr Buckland revealed he had since learnt that there were no devices in his office.

But ministers have continued to face questions about the potential security threat highlighted by the recording that emerged last week.

During an urgent question in parliament, Conservative MP Peter Bone said the existence of a recording device in a ministerial office "should be of national concern" and asked what was being done to investigate if there were other such cameras elsewhere in Whitehall.

"It is totally unacceptable for private conversations between ministers, civil servants, members of parliament and members of the public to be secretly recorded", Mr Bone said.

Cabinet Office minister Julia Lopez MP agreed secret recordings would be "unacceptable", but said in the case of Mr Hancock it was a CCTV camera operated by the health department and said there were no "covert concerns at this moment".

Dr Julian Lewis, who chairs the Intelligence and Security Committee, asked whether there were "rules common to all departments as to where security cameras can be cited and where they must not be".

Julia Lopez responded by saying: "My understanding is that it is general policy that there are not cameras cited within ministers' offices.

"I think this was an outlier in that regard, and I think we will have a better understanding of why that occurred once the Department of Health's investigation is complete" she added.

During the same session in parliament Labour’s Angela Rayner raised the issue of ministers using private emails for government business, after the Sunday Times reported that Matt Hancock had regularly used a personal email account.

"What steps have been and will be taken to preserve private emails as evidence for the public inquiry into the government’s mishandling of this COVID pandemic?" Angela Rayner asked.

Julia Lopez responded by saying "a number of internal and external inquiries" had already been conducted into the matter.

Downing Street insisted Mr Hancock not use personal email addresses for government business.

The PM's official spokesman said: "Both the former health secretary and Lord Bethell understand the rules around personal email usage and only ever conducted government business through their departmental email addresses."

UK Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said she is "looking carefully at the information that has come to light".

"It is an important principle of government transparency and accountability that official records are kept of key actions and decisions," she said.

"The issue of Ministers and senior officials using private email accounts to conduct sensitive official business is a concerning one for the public and is one my office has advised on before.

"I am looking carefully at the information that has come to light over the past few days and considering what further steps may be necessary to address the concerns raised with me."

Meanwhile, Downing Street confirmed Mr Hancock personally appointed Ms Coladangelo as a non-executive director at Department of Health and Social Care.

"As far as I'm aware I believe ministers are entitled to make direct appointments and I believe that was the case in this instance," the prime minister's official spokesperson said.

The justice secretary also said there was an "understandable groundswell of concern" surrounding the situation and that Mr Hancock was "right" to resign from his post on Saturday.

The justice secretary's comments come amid the continued controversy surrounding Mr Hancock and his affair with a close friend and aide Ms Coladangelo.

Ms Coladangelo was pictured kissing Mr Hancock apparently inside the Department of Health building in May, in breach of COVID guidance at the time.

Announcing his resignation on Saturday, the former health secretary said "those who make these rules have to stick by them".

In his letter, Mr Hancock said: "The last thing I would want is for my private life to distract attention from the single-minded focus that is leading us out of this crisis.

"I want to reiterate my apology for breaking the guidance, and apologise to my family and loved ones for putting them through this. I also need (to) be with my children at this time."

Former lobbyist Ms Coladangelo - who is married to the founder of fashion brand Oliver Bonas - was initially taken on as an unpaid adviser at the department on a six-month contract in March 2020, before being made a non-executive director.

It was reported in November that Mr Hancock had failed to declare he had appointed Ms Coladangelo before giving her a £15,000-a-year role on the board.

Sky News revealed on Friday that Roberto Coladangelo works at Partnering Health Limited (PHL Group), a specialist in the provision of urgent and primary care services to NHS patients.

https://news.sky.com/story/matt-hancock-affair-camera-that-caught-aide-kiss-has-been-disabled-says-new-health-secretary-12343880