News International responds to allegations made in the Guardian newspaper

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News International has reacted to allegations made in the Guardian newspaper that Rupert Murdoch's group of newspapers had 'paid out more than £1m to settle legal cases that threatened to reveal evidence of [NI] journalists' repeated involvement in the use of criminal methods to get stories'.

In a statement issued this evening, the corporation said: "News International is prevented by confidentiality obligations from discussing certain allegations made in the Guardian newspaper today."

However, 'in light of the assertions about activities of News of the World journalists', the company said it wished to set out its version of a 'chronology of events and the Company's response to them.'

"Since February 2007, News International has continued to work with its journalists and its industry partners to ensure that its journalists fully comply with both the relevant legislation and the rigorous requirements of the PCC's Code of Conduct. At the same time, we will not shirk from vigorously defending our right and proper role to expose wrongdoing in the public interest," the statement said.

The Guardian reported yesterday that there had been out-of-court settlements in three cases 'that threatened to expose evidence of Murdoch journalists using private investigators who illegally hacked into the mobile phone messages of numerous public ­figures to gain unlawful access to confidential personal data, including tax records, social security files, bank statements and itemised phone bills'.

It alleged that the 'suppressed legal cases' could be linked back to the imprisonment in January 2007 of a News of the World reporter, Clive Goodman, who was sentenced under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act for hacking into the mobile phones of three royal staff.

Following the Guardian's revelations, the House of Commons select committee for culture, media and sport today announced that it would open an inquiry into phone hacking at the News of the World newspaper. In a hearing in April 2009, however, committee chairman, John Whittingdale, told the journalist Nick Davies : "We did do an investigation both into Motorman [investigation undertaken by the Information Commissioner's Office into alleged offences under data protection legislation] and into Goodman so I do not want to revisit old ground too much."

Nick Davies, who exclusively reported the allegations for the Guardian newspaper yesterday afternoon, had told the committee in April that he believed there was 'a real will on the part of the PCC [Press Complaints Commission] to avoid uncovering the truth about phone hacking' and that newspapers still used private investigators.

"It is wrong but they are not doing anything about it and that continues despite Motorman. All that has happened is that they have got a little bit more careful about it. I actually got to know that network of private investigators who were exposed in Motorman. Years after that I was in the office of one of them and he was taking phone calls from newspapers while I was there," Davies told the committee.

Today, the Press Complaints Commission, which published its findings two years ago , said that 'any suggestion that further transgressions have occurred since its report was published in 2007 will be investigated without delay'.

In addition, the body said it would begin to investigate 'the older cases, which suggest the Commission has been misled at any stage of its inquiries into these matters'.

Update:

Responding to News International's statement, Nick Davies told Journalism.co.uk that it 'is very striking that they make no denial' of the allegations.

"For example, of the estimate we have from two sources on the Scotland Yard inquiry that News of the World journalists hacked thousands of phones ; nor that there is evidence of other News of the World journalists being involved - no denial of a single line in our stories," he said.

"There's not much in there. The most interesting line is the opening one where the reference to confidentiality implicitly confirms the fact that they made a confidential deal with Gordon Taylor [chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association] and two others."

Davies added that John Yates, Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner, who announced on Thursday that there is no need for further police investigation, had not denied the 'thousands' of phones claim either : "He speaks only of 'hundreds' of potential targets but he is limiting his comments to the activities of Clive Goodman as a lone reporter, he doesn't talk about the activities of the other News of the World journalists who were involved."

• Additional coverage over on the Journalism.co.uk Editors' Blog at this link.

• The Guardian has produced a background timeline at this link.

• The Guardian has printed a response to John Yates' statement here.

The chronology, as claimed by News International, in its statement:

• May 2006: "The Information Commissioner published a report entitled 'What Price Privacy?' This outlined the use of private investigators by the media, insurance companies, solicitors and local authorities in order to obtain personal information during the period from early 2001 to early 2003."

• December 2006: "The Information Commissioner published a follow-up to his report of May 2006. This contained a list of 31 newspapers and magazines said to have used private investigators to obtain confidential information, which included titles from Associated Newspapers, Trinity Mirror, News International, Guardian Media Group and others. The Information Commissioner reaffirmed the right to obtain confidential information to prevent or detect crime or in the course of genuine investigatory journalism that can be justified in the public interest. These reports were examined in depth and attracted significant press coverage following their publication."

• August 2006: "News of the World journalist Clive Goodman and Glen Mulcaire, a private investigator, were arrested and charged with illegal interception of communications under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. This followed a police investigation with which News International fully cooperated."

• January 2007: "Clive Goodman was sentenced to four months in prison and Glen Mulcaire received a sentence of six months in prison. Andy Coulson, the Editor of the News of the World, resigned taking ultimate responsibility. Colin Myler was subsequently appointed the new editor of the News of the World."

• February 2007: "Colin Myler wrote to every member of staff on the newspaper clearly setting out the conduct expected of journalists as employees and subsequently implemented a sustained compliance programme along the following principles: all journalists must operate within the law; all journalists must adhere to the PCC Code of Conduct as set out in their contracts of employment; every member of staff has a duty to represent the News of the World in a professional manner; all journalists attended regular training seminars on legal and PCC issues."

• March 2007: "Les Hinton, then executive chairman of News International, appeared before the culture media and sport select Committee. Mr Hinton testified that, to the best of his knowledge, following internal investigations, Goodman was acting alone."