Cabinet Office accused of using taxpayers’ money to ‘snoop’ on MPs

The Cabinet Office was using taxpayers’ money to “snoop” on sitting MPs, the House of Commons has heard.

Tory former minister Sir Christopher Chope set alarm bells ringing during Cabinet Office questions in the lower chamber, as he pressed ministers about what happened to the information collected by the Rapid Response Unit on parliamentarians.

Based across the Cabinet Office and No 10, the Rapid Response Unit was operating to combat misinformation, by monitoring news and information being shared and engaged with online.

It was created in 2018 and disbanded in August 2022.

Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart said after its disbandment, “the information collected was archived and will be retained in line with the Cabinet Office information retention policy available online”.

Can I say, I do have concerns what's being mentioned. If there are dossiers on MPs, I think we do need to know

After the issue was raised by Sir Christopher, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he has “some great worries” about a Government department holding “records” on MPs.

Christchurch MP Sir Christopher said: “Why has he (Alex Burghart) refused to admit in answer to parliamentary questions that the Rapid Response Unit collected and stored information on sitting MPs.

“And as my subject access request has now confirmed that I was one of those MPs, can he explain why the Rapid Response Unit was using taxpayers’ money to snoop on me, and who authorised this and why?”

Mr Burghart replied: “I have asked them (officials in the Cabinet Office) this morning, whether there were any monitoring emails that contained his name, I’ve been given assurances that there were not, but I’m very happy for him to come into the department and talk through all the possible implications.

“The truth is that the Government has a number of media monitoring services which check what is going on.

Can he explain why the Rapid Response Unit was using taxpayers' money to snoop on me, and who authorised this and why?

“They monitor not just what MPs and peers say but what journalists say, anything that’s reported in the mainstream media, and as his name has appeared in newspapers stories in connection with various stories, it’s natural that it would be picked up by those monitoring services.”

Interrupting the proceedings, Sir Lindsay said: “Can I say, I do have concerns what’s being mentioned. If there are dossiers on MPs, I think we do need to know.

“I could be very tempted if somebody was to put a UQ (urgent question) in to get to the bottom because I do think it needs clarification. You know, a Government Department holding records on MPs, it may be fine but it may not be, so I do have some great worries.”

Mr Burghart reiterated “we have media monitoring units”, adding: “So that when people’s names appear in the media, be they MPs or peers or people who are not members of this House, then they’ll be recorded on those systems.

“There’s nothing untoward about this, I can assure you.”

Sir Lindsay added: “We will certainly find out at some point.”