If it turns out he lied, it won't just be that he shouldn't have been in government, it will be that he should be prosecuted
David Cameron on Andy Coulson
David Cameron has said his former director of communications, Andy Coulson, should be prosecuted if he lied about not knowing about phone hacking when he was editor of the News of the World.
Speaking during prime minister's question time this afternoon the prime minister said he hired Coulson on the basis of "assurances" that he knew nothing about phone hacking while he was editor of the now defunct News of the World.
"He gave those self-same assurances to the police, to a select committee and under oath to a court of law.
"If it turns out he lied, it won't just be that he shouldn't have been in government, it will be that he should be prosecuted."
He added: "I do believe we must stick to the principle that you are innocent until you are proven guilty".
The prime minister was responding to a question from Ed Miliband who asked what he knew about information passed to Cameron's chief of staff Ed Llewellyn and senior aide Steve Hilton before the general election about Coulson.
Miliband said: "The information showed that while he was editing the News of the World Andy Coulson had hired Jonathan Rees, a man jailed for seven years for a criminal conspiracy and who made payments to police on behalf of the News of the World.
"Can you tell us what happened to that significant information that was given to your chief of staff?"
Cameron told the Labour leader that the information "was not passed on to me" but insisted it did not link Andy Coulson to illegal behaviour in any case.
Miliband, who appeared astounded by the answer, said Cameron had "admitted in the House of Commons today that your chief of staff was given complete evidence, which contradicted Andy Coulson's previous accounts".
"You were warned by the deputy prime minister about hiring Andy Coulson.
You were warned by Lord Ashdown about hiring Andy Coulson," he said.
He added: "You must now publish the fullest account of all the information that was provided and what you did and why those warnings went unheeded."
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