§ Mr. Leslie Huckfieldasked the Secretary of State for Employment what instructions and guidance about the need for confidentiality in handling information 126W are given to conciliation officers of his Department.
§ Mr. BryanAll officers of my Department, including conciliation officers, have been informed of the provisions of Section 2 of the Official Secrets Act, 1911, whereby it is a criminal offence for any person having in his possession any document or information to which he has access as an official, to communicate it to any unauthorised person other than a person to whom it is, in the interest of the State, his duty to communicate it.
These provisions are amplified in instructions to staff which specifically state that officers must not disclose confidential official matters to anyone outside the office or in such circumstances as to incur a risk of their being made public.