To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions his Department and its predecessor departments have conducted a leak inquiry since May 1997; what the subject was of each inquiry; and who authorised each inquiry. (106481)

The Department was formed in May 2002 and since then has conducted two leak inquiries in the financial year 2002-03, three in 2003-04 and four in 2004-05. One inquiry is currently in progress. It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on the subject or outcome of leak inquiries in order to safeguard security and investigative arrangements.