HC Deb 04 November 1970 vol 805 cc384-5W
Mr. Leslie Huckfield

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what instructions have been given by him to his departmental staff about the exchanging of files containing confidential and personal information.

Mr. Bryan

Instructions to my departmental staff provide that information relating to individual employers and work-people must be treated as confidential and should be disclosed only with the written consent of the person concerned.

Exceptionally, certain information may be disclosed in the public interest to other departments or public bodies to safeguard public funds, to meet statutory requirements or to assist the police in the prosecution of serious crime.

Departmental files are never otherwise disclosed to outside bodies.