HL Deb 08 November 1999 vol 606 cc120-1WA
The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether papers sent to the Committee on Toxicity working party on organophosphates by individual members of the public under strict confidentiality are expected to be kept confidential to the 'members of the working party; and, if so, what recourse there is for any individual who finds that the information has been released without their consent. [HL4407]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

All confidential papers sent to the working group are expected to be kept confidential by officials and members alike. All documents sent to the working party, unless they are already in the public domain, are marked "for members' use only" by the secretariat and then only sent to members.

We are not aware of any evidence that there has been a breach of confidentiality by any member of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment working party or an official. However, any formal complaint of such a breach would be investigated.