HC Deb 08 March 1988 vol 129 c194W
Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will detail the circumstances in which his Department forbids the publication of commissioned research.

Mrs. Currie

We have not withheld agreement to the publication of any research commissioned under the amended form of contract introduced in February 1987. Without purporting to list all or any circumstances in which agreement might be withheld, we envisage by way of example that they would be where legal advice was that libel, breach of confidentiality or factual error was likely to result. We would normally expect that the matter be resolved with the co-operation of the researcher.