Clause 20 - Further uses connected with the
Identity Cards Bill
9:10 am
Mr Humfrey Malins (Shadow Minister, Home Affairs; Woking, Conservative)
I have little to add, save that my hon. Friend the Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) is entirely right. We are dealing with an important clause about the provision of information without the consent of the individual, an issue to which we shall no doubt return during the stand part debate.
Like the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr. Allan), I had spotted the mistake in the spelling of ''overseas''. I am afraid to say that, having read subsection (3) and paragraph 132 of the explanatory notes two or three times, I was very little the wiser. The amendment would omit subsection (3), on which we seek a full explanation from the Minister. Paragraph 132 is helpful in that it draws our attention to the ability to prohibit the provision of information without consent for use in overseas proceedings.
I shall make two points, to which I hope the Minister can respond. What sort of overseas proceedings are we talking about? Would they be those that deal solely with criminal charges and the like, and would the provision apply to every other country in the world? Will the Minister focus a little on the issue of control?
It is not unknown for certain matters not to be able to be published in our own press in this country, because of our domestic laws. That is very proper; matters might be subject to privilege or injunctions. Nevertheless, no such provision can extend to foreign websites and newspapers. Sometimes a person otherwise protected from the provision of information in this country, finds himself totally unprotected because it can be provided abroad. It would be helpful if the Minister took us through examples of what subsection (3) means, and we look forward to hearing from him.