HC Deb 29 November 1993 vol 233 cc312-3W
Mr. Meacher

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the statutory provisions which(a) restrict the disclosure of official information and (b) provide legal rights of access to official information.

Mr. Waldegrave

A list of some 200 statutory provisions which have been identified as restricting the disclosure of official information can be found in the "Open Government" White Paper—Cm 2290—published earlier this year.

Statutory provisions which provide legal rights of access include: the Data Protection Act 1984; the Access to Personal Files Act 1987; the Education Reform Act 1988; the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988; the Access to Health Records Act 1990; the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985; the Health Service Joint Consultative Committees (Access to Information) Act 1986; the Community Health Councils (Access to Information) Act 1988; the Environmental Information Regulations 1992; and the Education (School Records) Regulations 1989.