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  1. Media Law
July 19, 2011

Met police to record meetings and hospitality with press

By Andrew Pugh

Officers at Scotland Yard will be made to record all meetings with journalists, Home Secretary Theresa May announced yesterday.

May announced several new inquiries into the Metropolitan Police at the House of Commons – including one examining the relationship between the force and the media.

Former Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Elizabeth Filkin, has provisionally agreed to lead the inquiry, which May said would look into the ‘ethical considerations’that should underpin the relationship and how to “ensure maximum transparency and public confidence”.

May then announced that the management board of the Met had agreed a new set of guidelines on the relationship with the media that will include ‘recording meetings and hospitality and publication of information on the internet”.

It comes after Prime Minister David Cameron announced last week that he was consulting with the Cabinet Secretary on amending the Ministerial Code so that all ministerial meetings with journalists would have to be logged.

May also ordered a wider investigation into corruption, nepotism and abuse of power within Scotland Yard, and a separate inquiry into whether the Independent Police Complaints Commission should be handed more powers, including whether it should be given the power to question civilian witnesses during the course of its investigations.

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