Douglas Alexander and Yvette Cooper joint statement on Prism

The Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander and the Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper have released a joint statement over the Prism computer programme row and what Ministers did or didn't know.

Douglas Alexander MP, Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary said: "Our intelligence agencies do vital work to keep our country safe from harm, but it is also vital that they operate within a framework of legality and accountability. These reports have raised serious public concern, so I am now calling on the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, to come to the Commons on Monday to make an urgent statement to MPs. In that statement he must explain the Government's position and tell MPs how the Government will work with the Intelligence and Security Committee to address these public concerns."

Yvette Cooper MP, Labour's Shadow Home Secretary, said: "The intelligence agencies need to be able to get information from abroad especially in their vital work against terrorist threats, but it must be within the legal framework agreed by Parliament so there are proper safeguards in place. The Prime Minister and other Ministers should support the ISC in investigating these media reports and reporting on the UK's involvement with the Prism programme. The Government also needs to set out clearly what legal framework governs the UK relationship with the Prism programme, what role Ministers play, what the safeguards and scrutiny are." 

"They need to explain how this relates to long standing legal requirements for warrants and inspection by the Intercept Commissioner. And the Home Secretary needs to provide full information to the ISC on the Home Office use of the Prism programme, what procedures have been followed including Ministerial warrants and the nature of the intelligence gathered. The work the intelligence agencies do is vital for our national security. That is why it is so important for the British public to have confidence in the work of the agencies and ministers that legal safeguards are being followed."