MPs could be urged not to use Alexa-style devices in their offices amid fears over the potential for eavesdropping, it was revealed today.

The Parliamentary authorities are looking at whether such smart speakers pose a threat to security.

Senior sources told MailOnline they were considering issuing advice over concerns about the highly sensitive material that crosses the desks of politicians.

Experts warned MPs could be vulnerable to individual hackers looking to obtain confidential information about constituents, or even foreign states.

The protections at Westminster have been dramatically stepped up in the wake of a huge cyber attack two years ago.

The Parliamentary authorities are looking at whether smart speakers such as Amazon's Alexa pose a threat to security

Systems have been improved and MPs and peers have been urged to take precautions such as toughening passwords.

But concerns have now been raised that smart speakers in offices could be a potential loophole.

It emerged in April that Amazon teams tap into conversations in what the company says is a system to check that devices work and improve their performance.

However, they have picked up moments such as a woman singing badly in the shower, bank details being read out and, in two harrowing instances, overheard what sounded like a sexual assault - which workers were allegedly told to do nothing about.

Amazon has repeatedly denied that the gadgets are spying on users. It says staff do not know who they are listening to and only a fraction of recordings are involved.

Other firms producing voice assistants are also reported to be harvesting information in order to improve their performance.

The practice highlighted the potential for information accessed through the devices to be misused.

A senior Parliamentary source said the authorities had experts ‘looking into what advice to give’.

‘They are worried this would not be good,’ they said. ‘The problem is that you could listen into conversations in an MPs’ office.’

It is not clear how many MPs are using voice assistants.

They do not feature on the standard IT issue list at Parliament, but it is understood they would be permitted to buy them on expenses as office equipment.

The devices are also cheap enough that staff or politicians might bring them in for office use.

The protections at Parliament (pictured) have been dramatically stepped up in the wake of a huge cyber attack two years ago

A House of Commons spokesman said: 'We don’t comment on matters of cyber security.'

Technology expert Graham Cluley said it would be 'sensible' to keep Alexa-style devices away from sensitive discussions.

'Although the risk is quite small, you have something in the corner of your room which is always listening,' he said.

Because of the nature of the work people are doing in parliament they are a high profile potential target, and we have seen state-sponsored hackers in the past target politicians.

If someone has already got the microphone in their room it would be advantageous to the hackers to be able to hijack it if they could.

'There is also the concern that almost all these hi tech companies are based overseas.

'The chances are that any recordings or any data that it picks up are being sent to servers over in the US.

'Friendly countries do spy on each other as well as accidents happening.'