Amendment Paper as at
Wednesday 5th April 2000
CONSIDERATION OF BILL
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION BILL, AS AMENDED
NOTE
The Amendments have been arranged in accordance with the Order of the House [4th April], as follows:
Amendments relating to Clauses 1 and 2, Schedule 1, Clauses 3 to 16, Schedule 2, Clauses 17 to 54, Schedule 3, Clauses 55 to 60, Schedule 4, Clauses 61 to 66, Schedule 5, Clauses 67 to 72, Schedule 6, Clauses 73 to 84, Schedule 7, Clauses 85 and 86, new Clauses and new Schedules.
Mr Harry Cohen
107
Page 7, line 28 [Clause 13], leave out from '(e)' to end of line 31 and insert 'section 38(1)'.
Mr Secretary Straw
47
Page 7, line 35 [Clause 13], leave out subsections (3) to (5) and insert—
'(3) Where the duty to confirm or deny does not arise but it appears to the public authority that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in disclosing the fact that the authority does or does not hold information of the description specified in the request outweighs the public interest in maintaining the exemption in question, the authority shall inform the applicant whether it holds the information.
(4) Where—
(a) the public authority holds information of the description specified in the request and has informed, or intends to inform, the applicant that it does so, and
(b) it appears to the authority that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in maintaining the exemption in question,
the public authority shall communicate the information to the applicant.'.
Dr Tony Wright
Mr Mark Fisher
Mr Robert Maclennan
Mr David Heath
Mr Richard Shepherd
2
Page 7, line 36 [Clause 13], leave out from 'whether' to 'to' in line 37.
Dr Tony Wright
Mr Mark Fisher
Mr Robert Maclennan
Mr David Heath
Mr Richard Shepherd
3
Page 7, line 42 [Clause 13], leave out from 'whether' to first 'to' in line 43.
Dr Tony Wright
Mr Mark Fisher
Mr Robert Maclennan
Mr David Heath
Mr Richard Shepherd
4
Page 8, line 2 [Clause 13], leave out from 'shall' to end of line 5 and insert—
'(a) inform the applicant whether it holds information, and
(b) communicate the information to him,'.
Dr Tony Wright
Mr Mark Fisher
Mr Robert Maclennan
Mr David Heath
Mr Richard Shepherd
7
Page 8, line 8 [Clause 13], leave out subsection (6).
Mr Secretary Straw
48
Page 8, line 10 [Clause 13], leave out 'also have regard to the desirability of' and insert 'in particular have regard to the public interest in'.
Mr Secretary Straw
49
Page 8, line 13 [Clause 13], leave out from beginning to 'within' and insert 'A public authority must comply with this section'.
Mr Secretary Straw
50
Page 8, line 18 [Clause 14], leave out 'in pursuance of a decision'.
Mr Secretary Straw
51
Page 8, line 20 [Clause 14], leave out 'in pursuance of a decision'.
Mr Secretary Straw
52
Page 8, line 35 [Clause 15], leave out from 'that' to 'or' in line 36 and insert 'by virtue of any provision of Part II the duty to confirm or deny does not arise'.
Mr Secretary Straw
53
Page 9, line 1 [Clause 15], leave out from 'which' to end of line 4 and insert—
'(a) decides under section 13(3) that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in disclosing the fact that the authority does or does not hold information of the description specified in a request for information does not outweigh the public interest in maintaining an exemption, or
(b) decides under section 13(4) that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in disclosing any information does not outweigh the public interest in maintaining an exemption,'.
Mr Secretary Straw
54
Page 9, line 21 [Clause 15], at end insert—
'(7) A notice under subsection (1), (3) or (5) must—
(a) contain particulars of any procedure provided by the public authority for dealing with complaints about the handling of requests for information or state that the authority does not provide such a procedure, and
(b) contain particulars of the right conferred by section 50.'.
Miss Ann Widdecombe
Mr David Lidington
Mr Nick Hawkins
110
Page 9, line 22, leave out Clause 16.
Miss Ann Widdecombe
Mr David Lidington
Mr Nick Hawkins
111
Page 56, line 13, leave out Schedule 2.
Mr Richard Shepherd
Dr Tony Wright
Mr Mark Fisher
Mr Robert Maclennan
Mr David Heath
177
Page 58, line 42 [Schedule 2], leave out paragraph 19.
Miss Ann Widdecombe
Mr David Lidington
Mr Nick Hawkins
113
Page 10, line 4 [Clause 17], leave out 'Commissioner' and insert 'Ombudsman'.
Miss Ann Widdecombe
Mr David Lidington
Mr Nick Hawkins
114
Page 10, line 22 [Clause 17], leave out 'Commissioner' and insert 'Ombudsman'.
Miss Ann Widdecombe
Mr David Lidington
Mr Nick Hawkins
115
Page 10, line 24 [Clause 17], leave out 'Commissioner' and insert 'Ombudsman'.
Miss Ann Widdecombe
Mr David Lidington
Mr Nick Hawkins
116
Page 10, line 28 [Clause 18], leave out 'Commissioner' and insert 'Ombudsman'.
Miss Ann Widdecombe
Mr David Lidington
Mr Nick Hawkins
117
Page 10, line 32 [Clause 18], leave out 'Commissioner' and insert 'Ombudsman'.
Miss Ann Widdecombe
Mr David Lidington
Mr Nick Hawkins
118
Page 10, line 37 [Clause 18], leave out 'Commissioner' and insert 'Ombudsman'.
Miss Ann Widdecombe
Mr David Lidington
Mr Nick Hawkins
119
Page 10, line 39 [Clause 18], leave out 'Commissioner' and insert 'Ombudsman'.
Miss Ann Widdecombe
Mr David Lidington
Mr Nick Hawkins
120
Page 10, line 41 [Clause 18], leave out 'Commissioner' and insert 'Ombudsman'.
Miss Ann Widdecombe
Mr David Lidington
Mr Nick Hawkins
121
Page 10, line 43 [Clause 18], leave out 'Commissioner' and insert 'Ombudsman'.
Miss Ann Widdecombe
Mr David Lidington
Mr Nick Hawkins
122
Page 11, line 3 [Clause 18], leave out 'Commissioner' and insert 'Ombudsman'.
Miss Ann Widdecombe
Mr David Lidington
Mr Nick Hawkins
123
Page 11, line 7 [Clause 18], leave out 'Commissioner' and insert 'Ombudsman'.
Miss Ann Widdecombe
Mr David Lidington
Mr Nick Hawkins
124
Page 11, line 10 [Clause 18], leave out 'Commissioner' and insert 'Ombudsman'.
Mr Secretary Straw
55
Page 11, line 15 [Clause 19], leave out 'members of the public' and insert 'the applicant'.
Mr Secretary Straw
56
Page 11, line 18 [Clause 19], leave out 'members of the public' and insert 'the applicant'.
Mr Secretary Straw
57
Page 11, line 20 [Clause 19], leave out 'members of the public' and insert 'the applicant'.
Mr Secretary Straw
58
Page 11, line 22 [Clause 19], leave out from 'to' to 'whether' in line 24 and insert 'communicate (otherwise than by making the information available for inspection) to members of the public on request'.
Mr Secretary Straw
59
Page 11, line 27 [Clause 19], leave out 'members of the public' and insert 'the applicant'.
Mr Richard Shepherd
Mr David Davis
Dr Tony Wright
Mr Mark Fisher
Mr Robert Maclennan
Mr David Heath
92
Page 12, line 1, leave out Clause 21.
Mr Richard Shepherd
Mr David Davis
Dr Tony Wright
Mr Mark Fisher
Mr Robert Maclennan
Mr David Heath
93
Page 12, line 33 [Clause 22], leave out from 'if' to end of line 34 and insert 'its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice national security'.
Mr Richard Shepherd
Mr David Davis
Dr Tony Wright
Mr Mark Fisher
Mr Robert Maclennan
Mr David Heath
94
Page 12 [Clause 22], leave out lines 36 and 37 and insert 'compliance with section 1(1)(a) would, or would be likely to, prejudice national security'.
