The Metropolitan Police has said it has asked for 'minimal reference' to be made in the Sue Gray report to alleged incidents in Downing Street the force is currently investigating.
In a statement, Scotland Yard said: “For the events the Met is investigating, we asked for minimal reference to be made in the Cabinet Office report.
“The Met did not ask for any limitations on other events in the report, or for the report to be delayed, but we have had ongoing contact with the Cabinet Office, including on the content of the report, to avoid any prejudice to our investigation.”
Meanwhile, No 10 has given no indication that it has received the Sue Gray report into possible rule-breaking parties in Downing Street, Chris Philp said.
The technology minister, asked on Sky News whether the civil servant’s inquiry findings have been handed in, said: “I spoke to someone in Downing Street about half an hour ago, and they certainly didn’t indicate that it had been received.
“So, I don’t know a lot more than you do but I’ve certainly got no information as of right now that it has been received.”
The statement indicates Ms Gray will either have to make significant changes to her report before publication or delay it until after the police inquiry concludes.
Sources close to the inquiry have previously indicated that she was concerned about the prospect of releasing a report that was shorn of some of its key findings.
Officers have not confirmed how many events they are investigating, but reports have suggested it could be as high as eight.
The official inquiry has been long-awaited but its publication was thrown into disarray on Tuesday when Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick announced that her officers had opened a criminal investigation.
Technology minister Chris Philp, asked why the Gray report hand-in had been delayed, told LBC: “You will have to ask Sue Gray that, because the timing of the report is up to her.
“You will have seen, as I have seen, press speculation is it is because she’s discussing with lawyers and police exactly what can and can’t go in it.
“But the bottom line is, I don’t know because it is a report she’s compiling independently and I have no visibility of what may or may not be in it, or what her thought process is.”
Asked what he could offer in terms of a defence of the Prime Minister, Mr Philp said he would not “speculate” on what happened in No 10 amid claims there were parties held at the top of Government during lockdown.
He added: “Like everybody else, I’m just going to wait until it is published, I’ll read it very carefully when it comes out and I’m not going to speculate… about what the report may or may not contain and what that may or may not mean.
“Let’s just wait until it comes out. Hopefully it will be soon because I think all of us want to be able to draw a line under this.”
