http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17867537
Jeremy Hunt to hand over emails and texts with aide over Sky bid
Jeremy Hunt has said he will hand over all correspondence with his special adviser over the Sky takeover bid to the Leveson Inquiry amid pressure for a separate probe into his conduct.
The culture secretary said the details would "vindicate" his position that he had acted with "total integrity".
Several Lib Dems have urged a specific inquiry into whether Mr Hunt breached the ministerial code of conduct.
Downing Street has said there are no plans for this to happen.
On Wednesday, Mr Hunt's special adviser Adam Smith resigned over what he admitted was an inappropriately close relationship with News Corporation during its planned takeover of satellite broadcaster BSkyB.
Mr Hunt has said he did not know about the extent and tone of the contact between the media giant and Mr Smith - who had allegedly been feeding it inside information.
He insists he had acted impartially throughout, in keeping with what was meant to be his "quasi-judicial" role.
'Disappointing'
But under the ministerial code of conduct, Mr Hunt is responsible for the actions of his special advisers - a fact which has fuelled calls for a separate inquiry into his conduct.
Shadow Culture Secretary Harriet Harman told the BBC: "The disappointing thing is that the government is using Lord Leveson's inquiry as a big carpet under which they can sweep everything.
"I think the Leveson inquiry is enormously important but it does not relieve...secretaries of state of their obligation to live up to the ministerial code."
She accused Prime Minister David Cameron of "shirking" his responsibilty by throwing everything "into the court of Leveson".
The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson said No 10 had hinted that Mr Cameron, as the final arbiter of the ministerial code, would judge Mr Hunt's future after he is cross-examined at Leveson and the correspondence with his aide is published.
Mr Hunt said on Friday he would make the information available to the Leveson inquiry into press ethics ahead of his appearance there next month.
"I am confident they will vindicate the position that I handled the BSkyB merger process with total integrity," he told the BBC.
Details of the contact between Mr Smith and News Corp emerged in a series of emails seen by the Leveson Inquiry.
There have been growing calls for the prime minister's independent adviser on ministerial interests, Sir Alex Allan, to investigate whether there has been any breach of the ministerial code.
Lib Dem deputy leader Simon Hughes said he could not understand why the issue was not being referred to the independent watchdog.
Former Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Lord Oakeshott suggested to Sky News that Mr Hughes' views were widely shared in the party although no government ministers have yet endorsed this view.
'Extraordinary'
Mr Hughes told the BBC's Question Time programme on Thursday: "What I cannot understand is why the matter of the ministerial code of conduct is not something the prime minister immediately should refer to the person who's been given the job to do it.
"Only the prime minister can do that. He has so far, I gather, resisted doing it. I don't think it gets in the way of the Leveson Inquiry and the evidence - it's a separate matter.
"I don't know why he hasn't done it but I would have thought, to give confidence in the system, I hope the prime minister reconsiders his view."
A leading Tory backbencher, Bernard Jenkin - who heads the Commons Public Administration Committee - has said the case should be referred to the PM's watchdog to determine "whether there is a case to answer".
"It is extraordinary that any special adviser should have anything to do with a secretary of state's quasi-judicial role in a matter such as a takeover bid," he said.
Downing Street have said they are sure Mr Hunt had acted properly and it was a matter for the Leveson Inquiry, not a separate investigation.
But The Times reported that Sir Jeremy Heywood had discussed with Sir Brian Leveson - the Judge conducting the inquiry - whether the conduct of Mr Hunt and his special adviser would be addressed in his final report.
The newspaper said sources had told them that it was "perfectly possible" that it would not be included.
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