Procedure and House Affairs committee  Is this about foreign interference or about the...? I do not know whether the Canadian Parliament has a security department or how that operates. We have, over the years, had great increases in the capability and professionalism of our security department. It was always helpful.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Before giving evidence, I discussed with Alison Giles about her remit and my remit and what should be said in public. I think, if I may, I will suggest that when you see Alison, you ask her.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  This is very familiar to me.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  This has come up in my experience about matters which aren't secret, so I'm not sure how helpful my answer will be. I think the committee itself will take a judgment. If it is the names of junior civil servants, it will not mind. If they think there might be something more contentious, they will press for it.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  There was a similar case, or an analogous case, where the Sussex police took action against a member for what he'd said in the House. They issued the member with a protection...a notice designed to stop harassment, and that was held to be a contempt. The member knew it was used to....

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I think, if you look what a contempt is, it's not just something that does impede a member. It's something that has a tendency. I think you might want to reflect on whether knowing that it might have happened.... Obviously, you can think about anything. You can scare yourself that there's a tiger in the canopy of your double bed.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  We are doing a great deal more on security briefing than we used to. I'm not familiar with the details of that briefing, but one of our problems.... We're very worried about the physical threat to members before you get on to foreign interference, so I'm sure we'll start by focusing on that.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Yes.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I think I can answer generally about confidential information. I can't answer about particularly security classified information, except to say that, yes, some of our committees get it. They handle it safely, but there is always a problem—and I'll be brutal about this—about sharing information with a committee.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Are you talking about ISC inquiries or House of Commons select committee inquiries?

Procedure and House Affairs committee  While this is not something that I deal with operationally, it isn't the role of the ISC to warn of threats to Parliament in that matter. Its role is to oversee the security services. As I say, I think this is better discussed in private, in that you will get better answers from my colleague, Alison Giles.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I would imagine that it would be the director of our security services, but these are not things on which I have detailed knowledge.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Okay. For the ISC, that is negotiated with the Prime Minister, and then the ISC will lay its report before Parliament and publish it. You can find their reports on the Internet. That report will say whether or not there were redactions. That's the process for the ISC. A House of Commons committee will always report in public.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I cannot think of one relating to foreign interference, except for the matter of sanctions against U.K. members of Parliament who had criticized China. In that case, it wasn't dealt with as contempt. It was a state-level action, and the response was to make it clear that the Chinese ambassador was no longer welcome, although other members of the embassy are permitted to enter the precinct.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  We have training on things like cybersecurity, which show them.... We will react if there is pressure, through social media and the like. On other matters, I think it is probably best that you ask Alison Giles rather than me.