carefully considered and analysed all of the material available as a result of the investigation.
42. During the course of the investigation, there has been a certain amount of media attention. None of the material reported was provided by me or by anyone else involved in the conduct of the investigation. The reports were repeatedly inaccurate in significant respects. More importantly, they had the potential to undermine the integrity of the process, to deter people from coming forward or to affect the evidence provided by those who did. I have had to consider carefully whether and to what extent evidence provided or not provided to me was or may have been affected by such reporting. I have also addressed below the treatment of material that featured only in media reporting and was not provided to the investigation.
43. Some individuals wished to contribute to the investigation only on the basis of anonymity (or non-attributability) to others involved in the process apart from me. In such cases, I had to consider whether it was possible to take their contribution into account, bearing in mind the principle of fairness to the DPM (to enable him to understand and respond to any allegation). Communication of sufficient details of an anonymised allegation would also run the risk of identification contrary to the individual's wishes.
44. Ultimately, there was only one instance in which I decided that I could properly consider such an allegation. It was put to the DPM for a response, because there was sufficient material to enable him fairly to address it and the individual concerned accepted that it would be possible for the DPM to identify them even though their name had been withheld.
45. All of the material obtained in the course of the investigation is available to the Prime Minister, subject to the same terms as to confidentiality as it was given to me.
(5) The focus of the investigation
46. All of the Complaints are concerned with the relationship between the DPM acting in his capacity as a Minister and civil servants acting in the course of their employment. In light of paragraphs 1.1, 1.2 and 5.1 of the 2018 and 2019 Ministerial Codes, my investigation has therefore been concerned with standards of workplace behaviour.
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