Scotland Yard's raid on an MP's office was last night branded "a scandal" after Commons Speaker Michael Martin revealed that he had not authorised the Scotland Yard raid on an MP's office and that the police did not have a warrant.
Mr Martin provoked an intake of breath from MPs when he described the circumstances of last Thursday's controversial search of Tory frontbencher Damian Green's office.
In a statement that overshadowed yesterday's Queen's Speech at Westminster, the Speaker explained to a tense House of Commons that he had not personally authorised the police search, saying that he was not asked whether consent should be given or whether a warrant had been authorised.
In a move that pinned responsibility for the affair on the Serjeant at Arms, who is in charge of security at the Commons, Mr Martin told MPs: "I was not told that the police did not have a warrant."
He added that police had not explained, as they should have done, that the Serjeant at Arms was not obliged to consent to the search.
"I regret that a consent form was then signed by the Serjeant at Arms without consulting the clerk of the House," Mr Martin said.
Last night pressure mounted on Jill Pay, the Serjeant at Arms, whom MPs suggested "had just rolled over" and allowed the police in when she had the right to stop them. Police sources suggested it would be "surprising" if she had not known that she had the power to refuse entry to the Palace of Westminster.
The Speaker promised that in future a warrant would be required before searches were carried out on Commons property. He also announced the setting up of a committee of seven "senior and experienced" MPs to look into the matter.
Senior Tory backbencher Douglas Hogg said the entry into the House without a warrant was "a scandal" and that police had behaved "deplorably".
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is due to make a statement on the affair to the Commons today.
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