§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all those in his Department who have authority to issue public interest immunity certificates; how many such certificates have been issued in each of the last five years; and what were the main reasons for them. [1432]
§ Mr. SoamesMinisters alone sign public interest immunity certificates in this Department. Since April 1992 the total number of PII certificates signed remains as stated in my answer of 16 October 1995 to the hon. Member for Clwyd, South-West (Mr. Jones),Official Report, columns 27–28. In the event, not all the certificates have been used. They cover a number of individual subjects, including the screening of certain members of the armed forces from the public at various criminal or civil proceedings and the protection of certain information from disclosure.