SIR – Commentators on the Damian Green affair, including D S Boyes (T&A, Letters, December 5), seem so indignant that they are missing the real point about what he regards as a misguided attempt to silence the “whistleblower” Christopher Galley.

But Mr Galley is a civil servant who is bound by conditions of service which mean he cannot make unauthorised use of information acquired in the course of his official duties.

Mr Boyes would no doubt say that this should not include anything which would embarrass the Labour Government in general, and Gordon Brown in particular.

There cannot, however, be one rule for politically-motivated leaks and the general rule of confidentiality which protects the vast amount of data held on every citizen in the land.

Few would be pleased to see their health, wealth and tax details made freely available to all and sundry, but to punish anyone who did so would be impossible if the excuse was “Galley got away with it, so why can’t I?”

Brian Holmans, Langley Road, Bingley