PM Defends Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt

David Cameron insisted today that he had seen no evidence that Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has breached the ministerial code of conduct in his handling of News Corp's bid for BSkyB.
In an emergency Commons statement, the Prime Minister said he was not going to set up a "parallel inquiry" into Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into media standards.
But he said that if evidence of a breach of the code emerged when Mr Hunt appeared before the Leveson inquiry, he would refer the matter to his independent adviser on ministerial interests, Sir Alex Allan, or take action himself.
The Prime Minister cancelled a scheduled visit to Milton Keynes to answer the emergency question on why Mr Hunt had not been referred to the independent adviser on ministerial interests.
Mr Cameron said on Sunday that Mr Hunt could face an investigation over his relations with Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation as it was bidding for full control of broadcaster BSkyB, owner of Sky News.
But any probe would only come after he has given evidence to the Leveson Inquiry into media standards and ethics, he said.
Ed Miliband responded to Mr Cameron today by maintaining that Mr Hunt had "clearly breached the ministerial code" and the Prime Minister did not need to wait for Leveson.
The Labour leader said Mr Cameron was "weak and wrong" and was failing in his duty by not acting to sack Mr Hunt.
Labour called for the Prime Minister to answer questions before Parliament went into recess on Tuesday until the State Opening of Parliament on May 9. Local elections are to take place on Thursday.
Sky's deputy political editor Joey Jones said: "I would imagine on the Government side there would be a degree of frustration that the Speaker has granted this urgent question given that Jeremy Hunt did make a statement, quite a detailed statement, and took a lot of questions last week.
"But plainly the speaker feels there is information out there that needs to be dealt with on the Government side."
Mr Hunt, who has faced calls for his resignation, is due to face Lord Justice Leveson in mid-May to discuss relations between politicians and the media.
On Sunday, Mr Cameron said: "If evidence comes out through this exhaustive inquiry where you're giving evidence under oath - if he did breach the ministerial code, then clearly that's a different issue and I would act."
But Labour leader Ed Miliband said there was already "clear evidence" that Mr Hunt had breached the ministerial code in "at least three ways".
"People need to know there is the utmost probity and integrity in the way Government is being run," he said at an event in central London.
"It is a pattern with this Prime Minister, particularly around News International... He resists the calls for change."
The special adviser to the culture secretary, Adam Smith, resigned over his contacts with News Corporation public affairs executive Frederic Michel after emails between the two men emerged during evidence from Mr Murdoch's son, James, at the inquiry last week.
Labour has repeatedly called for Mr Hunt to be referred the Government's independent adviser on ministerial interests, Sir Alex Allan.