Brown 'was unaware' of MP's arrest
Gordon Brown has insisted that Government ministers were not told in advance by police of plans to arrest Opposition frontbencher Damian Green over leaked information from the Home Office.
Conservative leader David Cameron said ministers and police had serious questions to answer over the treatment of the shadow immigration minister, who was held for nine hours after being arrested at his Kent home.
However, the Prime Minister said it was purely a police matter and ministers had not been involved.
He said: "I had no prior knowledge, the Home Secretary had no prior knowledge, I know of no other minister who had any prior knowledge. I knew about it only after it had happened when I was told by the Permanent Secretary to the Civil Service that this had happened.
"As I said to him, this is a matter for the police, they are carrying out an investigation. It is not a matter for Government ministers. The independence of the police is what should be upheld. I hope that everybody can feel able to uphold both the independence of the police and the statement that no minister was involved."
Labour former cabinet minister Tony Benn said the arrest was "a direct attack on Parliamentary democracy by the police".
He added: "They must be pretty ignorant if they don't realise that Parliament protects the right of people to approach MPs, the right of MPs to hold information and to use it"
Mr Green, 52, MP for Ashford, expressed fury after he was questioned in connection with a series of confidential Home Office papers which have recently found their way into the public domain.
He was released on unconditional bail, but must return to face further questioning in February.
Speaking to reporters outside the House of Commons, he said: "I was astonished to have spent more than nine hours under arrest for doing my job. I emphatically deny I have done anything wrong."
