Seconds out

There may be a little shuttle diplomacy going on in the corridors of Portcullis House this afternoon, ahead of the Home Affairs Committee questioning of South Yorkshire Chief Constable David Crompton (Bury Grammar School and Salford University), and BBC DG Lord Hall (Birkenhead and Keble Oxford). It's all about the circumstances of the BBC scoop in covering the search of Sir Cliff Richard's flat in Sunningdale.

The ante has been raised by Director of News James Harding, writing to the police - and sharing the letter with the press: "Our general policy is that we do not reveal the content of off-the-record conversations that occur in the course of our journalism. We have so far upheld this position in relation to South Yorkshire Police. But I am prompted to write to you by the particular circumstances in which we now find ourselves. You have made a series of comments about the nature of your force’s engagement with the BBC in a letter to Keith Vaz. In order that the BBC can answer the questions put by the Home Affairs Select Committee and address the points made in your letter, may we presume that we are free to divulge the nature of the discussions and exchanges that took place between the BBC and South Yorkshire Police?"

It's the Editor-in-chief, Lord Hall who enters the ring, having publically stated that his journalists "acted appropriately". There's not much room for manouevre. 3.30pm, Thatcher Room.