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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