§ Rob MarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidance his Department issues to civil servants on 733W how to deal with claims from organisations that the information they provide to the Department is commercially confidential. [105481]
§ Peter HainRelease of information by my Department is covered by the Open Government Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (Second Edition 1997). While each request must be considered on its merits, Part 2 of that Code sets out the exemptions from the right of access. Some of these exemptions relate to categories of information regarded as confidential, examples include the privacy of an individual, third party commercial confidences, and information given in confidence. Decisions to provide or refuse access to such information are subject to a public interest test.