§ Lord Dubsasked Her Majesty's Government:
For an update on the amendment or repeal under Section 75 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 of legislation prohibiting the disclosure of information. [HL4050]
§ The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg)We have identified 155 items of primary legislation and 83 items of secondary legislation that contain provisions prohibiting the disclosure of information. We have also identified a further 62 items of primary legislation and 18 items of secondary legislation which contain provisions providing discretion to disclose information.
86WAWe have identified 36 items of legislation to be repealed or amended under the pro visions in Section 75 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Fifty-seven items of legislation have been identified which fulfil our international obligations. It will be necessary to retain these.
A list of all the legislation identified will be placed in the Library of the House.
Decisions on the repeal or amendment of legislation governing the disclosure of information relating to devolved matters in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Executive. The repeal or amendment of legislation within the devolved authority of the Northern Ireland Assembly will be a matter for consultation with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive.
Each item of legislation not already identified as a candidate for repeal or amendment and not fulfilling an international obligation is now being reviewed to determine whether it may be so repealed or amended in light of the provisions in the Freedom of Information Act 2000. A further update will be given in the annual report in November on implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.