Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill

I am grateful, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I was merely trying to be helpful to the House as we address this complicated matter. Amendment No. 14 would slightly reinforce the protection of personal information about Members’ constituents by a different route. As I explained when I was speaking to amendment No. 2, I do not believe that amendment No. 14 is necessary. Nevertheless, it has been tabled in good faith to encourage Members who have genuine worries about the issue to find an alternative way forward. I make it plain for the record that the amendment is not my preferred solution. However, it offers a way forward to those who have concerns but are not persuaded by the arguments for amendment No. 2, difficult though it is to believe that that could be the case. Amendment No. 14 would establish part of the case for the exemption of personal information about Members’ constituents under section 41 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. There are three criteria under which information would qualify for an actionable breach of confidence: the information disclosed must be confidential; it must be supplied explicitly or implicitly in confidence; and it must be likely to cause detriment to the confider if disclosed. The amendment would establish the second criterion precisely, especially through the phrase—I was about to read this out before you properly curtailed me, Mr. Deputy Speaker—"““communicated in circumstances importing an obligation?—"