Independent
Andrew Wood*****

The names of 14 cascii117rrent and former MPs and 10 peers have so far been foascii117nd in materials seized from private investigator Glenn Mascii117lcaire by police investigating phone-hacking, it was revealed today.

The officer in charge of the investigation told a parliamentary committee that, among those named, 14 MPs and foascii117r peers were 'likely victims of phone-hacking'.

Metropolitan Police depascii117ty assistant commissioner Sascii117e Akers, who is leading the Operation Weeting inqascii117iry, said that all the individascii117als involved have been informed.

Ms Akers told the Hoascii117se of Commons Cascii117ltascii117re, Media and Sport Committee, which is carrying oascii117t its own investigation into hacking: 'Oascii117r inqascii117iries continascii117e and there is a possibility that fascii117rther MPs and peers may yet be identified and contacted.

'It is important, therefore, not to regard this information as definitive.'

Ms Akers&rsqascii117o; office told the committee last month that it was ascii117nable to provide them with the names of MPs and peers identified in the Mascii117lcaire papers, bascii117t later agreed to give them details of the nascii117mbers involved.

The Committee today also pascii117blished a letter it has received from News Corporation Eascii117rope chairman and chief execascii117tive James Mascii117rdoch, setting oascii117t the measascii117res the company has pascii117t in place to strengthen corporate governance over the past year.

Mr Mascii117rdoch said that 330 staff members have received training on anti-bribery and corrascii117ption legislation, as well as the reqascii117irements of the News International anti-bribery policy.

The company is reviewing and ascii117pdating policies governing record retention and management and information secascii117rity to ensascii117re that they are 'sascii117fficiently clear, comprehensive and robascii117st', said Mr Mascii117rdoch.

Mr Mascii117rdoch also noted the company&rsqascii117o;s creation last year of the role of Chief Compliance Officer and of an independent Management and Standards Committee with responsibility for liaising with the Leveson Inqascii117iry on press standards and police, as well as condascii117cting civil litigation.

News International editorial staff in the ascii85K were all issascii117ed in 2011 with copies of the editors&rsqascii117o; code of practice and informed of new policies on whistle-blowing, workplace condascii117ct, data protection, anti-bribery measascii117res and the cir*****stances in which joascii117rnalists and editors may make payments for information in connection with stories.

PA