More on Damien Green

The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have said they will not take part in a Commons inquiry into the police raid on MP Damian Green's parliamentary office.

The government won a close vote to set up a committee dominated by Labour MPs, which would not begin work until after the police investigation finished.

The Lib Dems denounced the inquiry as a "nonsense", while the Tories warned it should not be "party political".

A cross-party motion to change the committee's remit failed by four votes.

Suggested by former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell, the amendment would have allowed the inquiry to go ahead without waiting for the completion of any police inquiry or proceedings.

After this failed, a government motion to set up an MPs' committee in accordance with the make-up of the Commons - which has a Labour majority - and not start work until the police inquiry is over, passed by 23 votes.

'Should meet now'

For the Tories, shadow Commons leader Theresa May said: "We feel not able to recommend to members of our party that they serve on this committee which we believe so blatantly flies in the face of the desire that you had about the nature of the committee, the fact that it should not be party political, and that it should meet now and conduct its inquiries now."

Lib Dem business spokesman Simon Hughes said: "We do not feel we can recommend to our colleagues that they serve on a committee that will be a nonsense, that sits to choose a chairman and then can sit no more."

Many MPs are concerned that police were allowed to search Mr Green's Westminster office 11 days ago without a warrant.

Commons leader Harriet Harman said the next House of Commons Commission meeting would consider whether a High Court judge should have to grant a warrant if police wanted to carry out a parliamentary search in future.

She told MPs the issues that needed to be considered were whether MPs' papers were "properly protected", what led up to the police search and whether "important constitutional principles were properly protected".

But she said it was important to avoid any perception that Parliament was "breathing down the police's neck" or could prejudice any future court proceedings.

"It is for neither government nor opposition to pronounce what the evidence is and whether a crime has been committed," she added.

The opposition parties are angry that, while Speaker Michael Martin promised a "speedy" inquiry by a committee of seven MPs chosen by him, the government has proposed a committee dominated by Labour MPs which will not start work until after the police investigation has finished.

During a lively Commons debate, Conservative former minister Douglas Hogg accused ministers of "concealment, duplicity, whitewash and cover-up".

Tory backbencher Sir Nicholas Winterton said that, even in Zimbabwe in 1982, Robert Mugabe's police had not entered Parliament to arrest an MP.

'Over the line'

However, Labour former minister Frank Dobson told MPs the rules on police entering the Commons were "not clear".

"We all agree there's something called parliamentary privileges but hardly anyone agrees exactly what it amounts to," he said.

Mr Green stood up at one point to caution Mr Dobson who suggested the Tory MP had a "sort of standing order with this civil servant" to get a continuation of leaks.

He said the Speaker had warned against saying anything prejudicial and that Mr Dobson had gone "way over the line".

Mr Green was arrested last month and held for nine hours by the Metropolitan Police.

His homes and offices were searched, as part of an inquiry into allegations of leaks from the Home Office.

MPs were angry police had been allowed to enter the Commons, without a warrant - something Speaker Michael Martin has already said he regrets.

But the Speaker himself did not come in for criticism during the debate, despite 32 MPs telling the BBC at the weekend they had lost confidence in him.

INTERNET MALE wrote:yeah, Tories with sense will be striving to avoid mentioning africa in any context ever, what cunts they were over apartheid in particular.

biggest issue with the Damien Green arrest is that it was under one of the many incredibly vague anti-terrorism laws Labour have brought in, but the Tories argue on a more general "OMG BIG BROTHER!!!!" line because now these things have been brought in, turns out Tory councils fucking love using them, in at least one case to go through the bins of rival politicians in the area. Who'd have thought?

Commons Speaker Michael Martin has rebuked a Conservative MP amid a fresh row over police entry to MPs' offices.

Daniel Kawczynski alleged that police had entered his Commons office without a search warrant demanding to see constituency correspondence.

But the Speaker said the officer had acted in "good faith" and said the MP should have checked his facts before "rushing to judgement" over the matter.

The Speaker said he would change rules on police procedure in the Commons.

From now on, police officers will have to inform the Commons authorities before approaching MPs in the course of an inquiry.

Daniel Kawczynski said on Wednesday evening, in a statement in the Commons, that he found the episode "disgraceful".

'Take a breather'

The Shrewsbury and Atcham MP said he was informed about the police's intentions while taking part in a debate and his staff felt under a "certain duress" to hand over information related to an inquiry over "white powder" sent to a minister.

Mr Kawczynski said it was to his "eternal shame" that he had complied by handing over the letter.

Responding to Mr Kawczynski's allegations on Thursday, Mr Martin said the officer - stationed in Parliament - had sought the MP's help beforehand and had not required a search warrant as the information he sought was not privileged.

The MP would have been advised to get his "facts together" and "give himself a breather" before making comments which could "reflect badly on professional people who are doing a decent job of work", the Speaker added.

Scotland Yard has said the officer had entered the office "by appointment".

The row follow the arrest of shadow immigration minister Damian Green and the search of his Commons offices in November which aroused widespread anger among MPs.

Given the current sensitivities over parliamentary privilege and the work of MP's, Mr Martin said police, in future, would have to inform the Serjeant At Arms, who is responsible for security in Parliament, before making enquiries to an MP.