On the specific point of a leak inquiry, he said it was a "long-established practice" of the Treasury not to comment on whether a leak inquiry has been established or not.
More than 100 institutions run by religious orders have been examined and the inquiry is expected to produce specific findings against a number of facilities.
The navy said it refused to comment on specific aspects of the case and has previously said a Service Inquiry established in September would assess current missing persons procedures.
In specific detail, the attorney general rebutted claims that the inquiry presents her with a conflict of interest, and that there are credible allegations of misconduct by top administration officials.