§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what provisions govern the use of public interest immunity certificates by his Department; and to what extent these relate to files held by local authorities. [70226]
§ Mr. MealeThe principles governing public interest immunity certificates for documents in my Department's possession are those mentioned in the Attorney-General's written answer to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, Central (Mr. Davies) on 11 July 1997,Official Report, column 616. It is for local authorities to decide, applying established legal principles, whether to make claims in respect of files which they hold. In all cases, a claim to public interest immunity is subject to the Court's supervision.