Treasury Leak: Access To Market Sensitive Figures Must Be Restricted

4.30.49pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 5th Nov 2003

Responding to the Treasury Statement regarding the early leaking of retail sales figures on 24 October to Reuters, Vince Cable MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, said: "It is a matter of serious concern that market sensitive figures like these should be leaked. It seems that the Treasury is no longer secure."

"I will be writing to Gordon Brown to ask what action he will be taking to prevent this happening again and why junior staff in the Treasury had access to ONS figures in advance."

"Ministers see data 40 hours early in order to prepare their defences. This raises questions over whether Ministers should continue to receive such figures in advance at all."

ENDS

The Treasury Statement can be found at:

http://www.wired-gov.net/WGLaunch.asp?ARTCL=20731