HC Deb 09 March 1998 vol 308 cc82-3

'.—(1) This section applies to information which has been obtained by an officer acting for the purposes of any of the agricultural wages legislation and which is held by a relevant authority.

(2) Information to which this section applies may, with the authorisation of the relevant authority, be supplied to the Secretary of State for use for any purpose relating to this Act.

(3) Information supplied under subsection (2) above may be supplied by the recipient to any government department or other body if—

  1. (a) arrangements made between the recipient and that department or body under section 13(1)(6) above are in force; and
  2. (b) the information is supplied for any purpose relating to this Act.

(4) Except as provided by subsection (3) above, information supplied under subsection (2) or (3) above—

  1. (a) shall not be supplied by the recipient to any other person or body unless it is supplied for the purposes of any civil or criminal proceedings relating to this Act; and
  2. (b) shall not be supplied in those circumstances without the authorisation of the relevant authority.

(5) This section does not limit the circumstances in which information may be supplied or used apart from this section.

(6) In this section— the agricultural wages legislation" means—

  1. (a) the Agricultural Wages Act 1948;
  2. (b) the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Act 1949; and
  3. (c) the Agricultural Wages (Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 1977;
relevant authority" means—
  1. (a) in relation to information obtained by an officer acting in England, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food;
  2. (b) in relation to information obtained by an officer acting in Wales, the Minister of the Crown with the function of appointing officers under section 12 of the Agricultural Wages Act 1948 in relation to Wales;
  3. (c) in relation to information obtained by an officer acting in Scotland, the Minister of the Crown with the function of appointing officers under section 12 of the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Act 1949; and
  4. (d) in relation to information obtained by an officer acting in Northern Ireland, the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland.'.—[Mr. Robert Ainsworth.]

Brought up, read the First and Second time, and added to the Bill.

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