Overview

• The prime minister told MPs he will release three witness statements in full after a short process, responding to weeks of pressure over the failed prosecution.
• The CPS said the statements were supplied for criminal proceedings and that any decision to publish rests with the government, pushing back on No 10’s suggestion prosecutors blocked release.
• Prosecutors dropped charges against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry after concluding the government did not provide a statement that China was a national security threat at the time of the alleged offences; both men deny wrongdoing.
• Ministers defended national security adviser Jonathan Powell and said deputy national security adviser Matthew Collins provided the strongest possible evidence within the previous government’s policy and under older secrecy laws, as Conservatives alleged political interference.
• MI5 issued new security guidance to MPs and Conservative figures asked the director of public prosecutions whether the case could be restarted if the requested evidence is now supplied.