HL Deb 28 June 2000 vol 614 cc1043-4

(" .—(1) It shall be the duty of—

  1. (a) every member of an intelligence service,
  2. (b) every official of the department of the Secretary of State, and
  3. (c) every member of Her Majesty's forces,
to disclose or provide to the Intelligence Services Commissioner all such documents and information as he may require for the purpose of enabling him to carry out his functions under section (The Intelligence Services Commissioner).

(2) As soon as practicable after the end of each calendar year, the Intelligence Services Commissioner shall make a report to the Prime Minister with respect to the carrying out of that Commissioner's functions.

(3) The Prime Minister shall lay before each House of Parliament a copy of every annual report made by the Intelligence Services Commissioner under subsection (2), together with a statement as to whether any matter has been excluded from that copy in pursuance of subsection (4).

(4) If it appears to the Prime Minister, after consultation with the Intelligence Services Commissioner, that the publication of any matter in an annual report would be contrary to the public interest or prejudicial to—

  1. .(a) national security,
  2. (b) the prevention or detection of serious crime,
  3. (c) the economic well-being of the United Kingdom, or
  4. (d) the continued discharge of the functions of any public authority whose activities include activities that are subject to review by that Commissioner,
the Prime Minister may exclude that matter from the copy of the report as laid before each House of Parliament.

(5) Subsection (7) of section 39 shall apply for the purposes of this section as it applies for the purposes of that section.").

On Question, amendments agreed to.

Lord Bassam of Brighton moved Amendment No. 190C:

After Clause 54, insert the following new clause—