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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'.

 
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Prepared 5 Apr 2000