UK's Lidington: Huawei leak inquiry needed to ensure government integrity

LONDON (Reuters) - The British government’s inquiry into the disclosure of secret information relating to Chinese telecoms company Huawei was needed to ensure the integrity of national security discussions, cabinet office minister David Lidington said on Thursday.

Prime Minister Theresa May fired her defense minister Gavin Williamson on Wednesday over a leak from a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) which discusses intelligence coordination and defense strategy.

“The leak investigation into the disclosure of information about 5G was constituted in order to ensure that the integrity of the NSC in general is upheld and, vitally, participants in NSC meeting can continue to hold full confidence in its operation and the confidentiality of its proceedings,” Lidington told parliament.

Williamson has denied leaking the information.

The leak, first reported in the Telegraph newspaper last month, said Britain would allow Huawei a role in building parts of its 5G network, setting London at odds with Washington over the next generation of communications technology.

Sources subsequently told Reuters that the role would be limited.

Opposition parties called Lidington to parliament to discuss the leak inquiry, and several lawmakers used the debate to demand a criminal investigation into whether secrecy laws had been broken.

Lidington said it was for police, not ministers, to decide whether a criminal offence had been committed. He said May had not accused Williamson of breaking any laws.

Reporting by William James and Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Alistair Smout

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