§ Lord Stoddart of Swindonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in respect of the Answer of Baroness Chalker of Wallasey of 28 February, those to whom 112WA secret information is passed in the member states of the European Union are security-vetted and subject to the provisions of the Official Secrets Act.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyEach member state of the European Union operates its own security-vetting procedures for staff dealing with classified information, including material exchanged by European Union member states in the course of regular foreign policy contacts. Sections 3 and 6 of the Official Secrets Act 1989 have a bearing on this question. Whether they would apply to officials of other member states would depend upon the circumstances of the individual case in the light of the wording of the Act. Such officials are, however, subject to their own national laws and regulations governing classified information.