Statistics and Registration Service Bill

moved Amendment No. 171: 171: Clause 36, page 15, line 16, after ““disclosed”” insert ““nor used except in relation to the exercise of any of the Board’s and National Statistician’s functions,”” The noble Lord said: We have tabled this probing amendment because we believe it is very important that there should be clarity about the circumstances in which information submitted to the board, particularly by an individual, can be used. The amendment seeks to ensure that information not only cannot be disclosed; it cannot be used, "““except in relation to the exercise of any of the Board’s and National Statistician’s functions””." This seems a very strange amendment because, presumably, a member or employee of the board, or of a committee of the board, will be exercising only the functions of the board. Therefore the amendment does not apply to paragraphs (a) and (b). The amendment relates to paragraph (c), which states that information must not be disclosed by, "““any other person who has received it directly or indirectly from the Board””." The key issue, on which I seek reassurance from the Minister, is what types of person will receive the information directly or indirectly if it is information that board members and their employees cannot disclose? What does the Bill mean by ““disclosed”” as opposed to information which is received?. Does paragraph (c) mean that anyone who receives information for some reason, not necessarily as a result of a deliberate disclosure by the board, is bound by the disclosure rules; or is it intended to refer, for example, to a subcontractor to the board who is not a member or employee of the board or of any of its committees? What category of person does the Minister envisage will be receiving information? Can we be certain that, in the Bill as it stands, anyone who is not employed by the board will be limited in the use they can make of any information they receive simply to the exercise of the functions of the board? I beg to move.