![\"\"](\"https:\/\/candas365.es\/noticias\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/londres-655x360-360x198.jpg\")
London (PA Media\/dpa) – British Justice Secretary Robert Buckland says \u00abdue process\u00bb was followed in appointing a government aide – one whom former health secretary Matt Hancock was caught kissing – to a paid role at the Health Department.<\/p>\n
Buckland issued a defence of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s handling of the scandal as Johnson was dogged by questions in the wake of the resignation of his health secretary.<\/p>\n
Hancock bowed to pressure and quit after surveillance camera (CCTV) emerged of him breaking social-distancing guidelines – ones set up to to combat Covid-19 – by intimately embracing aide Gina Coladangelo.<\/p>\n
The long-term friend of Hancock was brought into the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), first as an unpaid adviser, before getting the 15,000-pound-a-year role of non-executive director in September.<\/p>\n
Buckland told Sky News: \u00abEverything that I understand so far leads me to believe due process was followed in the appointment of this person and any declarations that should’ve been made were made.\u00bb<\/p>\n
But pressed on when Hancock’s relationship began with the aide, the justice secretary said: \u00abI’m confident that due process was followed and that declarations were made; as to when the relationship began, I’m afraid I don’t know.\u00bb<\/p>\n
On a separate matter, opposition Labour party has demanded an investigation into allegations that Hancock and junior health minister Lord Bethell used personal email addresses to conduct government business.<\/p>\n
Buckland suggested the Cabinet Office is likely to investigate the matter and said that, if ministers had to use a personal email address, then their communications should be retained.<\/p>\n
\u00abWe should use government emails, I think that’s very clear,\u00bb he told Sky News. \u00abI think the Cabinet Office, if they’re asked to look at this – they probably will be – will need to satisfy themselves that if that was the case then the material is available.\u00bb<\/p>\n
Former chancellor Sajid Javid was appointed health secretary at the weekend after Hancock’s resignation on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Johnson initially stuck by Hancock after the Sun published footage on
\nFriday of Hancock kissing the aide, an old friend from his days at Oxford University, in his ministerial office on May 6.<\/p>\n
The scandal led to renewed questions over standards in Johnson’s government after a series of controversies surrounding some of his most senior ministers.<\/p>\n
Johnson rejected calls to fire Home Secretary Priti Patel when she was found to have bullied civil servants working for her, while Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick conceded that his approval of a major property development involving Tory Party donor Richard Desmond was \u00abunlawful.\u00bb<\/p>\n
But Buckland suggested the prime minister’s critics are merely jealous of his popularity, when questioned about ministerial standards.<\/p>\n
\u00abThe truth is a lot of people just don’t like the PM and they veil their dislike in this sort of language and they can’t get over the fact he’s popular in the country,\u00bb he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.<\/p>\n
Buckland also said he is \u00abamazed\u00bb to still be facing questions on Monday about the delay to Hancock’s exit.<\/p>\n
\u00abHe resigned because he considered the matter carefully, he could see the issue of credibility was one that was really majoring,\u00bb he told Today.<\/p>\n
\u00abMatt Hancock had been, I think, an incredibly hard-working health secretary over the last three years in fact, but in the last 16 months somebody who frankly worked without a break to deal with this crisis.\u00bb<\/p>\n
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said there must be \u00abfull transparency\u00bb and a \u00abfull investigation\u00bb into Hancock’s alleged use of a Gmail account.<\/p>\n
\u00abI’ve written to ensure that there is an investigation into ministers using private emails to conduct official government business in secret, agreeing contracts in private et cetera,\u00bb she told Today.<<\/p>\n
There were also questions about how the footage of the kiss from CCTV inside a ministerial office emerged.<\/p>\n
Centre-right Tory lawmaker Peter Bone has been granted an urgent question in the Commons about the security arrangements in ministerial offices, amid alarm that sensitive meetings and conversations may be monitored.<\/p>\n
Buckland said he has been informed there is no CCTV in his office, telling Sky News: \u00abI think there is an important principle here about the need for ministers and civil servants who often are handling very sensitive material and information to have a safe space within which to work.<\/p>\n
\u00abI’m sure that many of my colleagues will be asking the same question and be making sure the offices are swept just in case there are unauthorized devices that are in there that could be a national security breach.\u00bb<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
London (PA Media\/dpa) – British Justice Secretary Robert Buckland says \u00abdue process\u00bb was followed in appointing a government aide – one whom former health secretary Matt Hancock was caught kissing – to a paid role at the Health Department. Buckland issued a defence of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s handling of the scandal as Johnson was<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44418,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[343],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-156293","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-actualidad"},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t