HC Deb 29 July 1988 vol 138 cc755-6W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps to extend to police officers the restrictions presently imposed on security officers in respect of confidentiality and official secrets.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

Police officers are already subject to the Official Secrets Act. It is an offence under the Police (Discipline) Regulations 1985 to communicate to any other person without proper authority any information which a police officer has obtained in the course of his police duties.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what restraints exist on publication by former police officers of their memoirs and on reminiscences of details of recent work in which they were involved.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The Official Secrets Act continues to apply to retired police officers and, like any other person to whom matters may have been imparted in confidence, a retired police officer may be liable to face an action under the civil law for the consequences of a breach of that confidence.