§ Mr. MaclennanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has reviewed all the statutory provisions bearing upon the disclosure of official information, other than the Official Secrets Act, to ensure that they are consistent with the principles and provisions concerning liability to criminal prosecution for disclosure of official information contained in the Official Secrets Bill; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HurdThe purpose of the Official Secrets Bill is to replace section 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911 in 675W accordance with the principles set out in the White Paper published in June 1988 (Cm 408). The Government are aware of other legislation containing specific offences relating to the disclosure of particular information provided under statutory requirements and it referred to these in its White Paper at paragraph 35. Any consideration of such offences needs to be made in the context of the specific provisions to which they relate.