§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord LOREBURN)My Lords, I beg to move the First Reading of a Bill to amend the Official Secrets Act, 1889. I desire to say only two or three sentences in connection with it. The Bill relates to the difficult subject of official secrets—that is to say, documents and information which it is contrary to the public interest should be made public. The Bill will be circulated at once, and will, therefore, be immediately available to your Lordships. I take this notice of it on First Reading because I hope that in the interval before the Second Reading those who are interested in this subject will be so good as to pay attention to it, in order that we may have it thoroughly considered and discussed on the Second Reading.
§ Moved, "That the Bill be now read 1a."—(The Lord Chancellor.)
§ On Question, Bill read 1a, and to be printed (No. 28).