Clause 29 - Unauthorised disclosure of information
Identity Cards Bill
3:15 pm
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Assistant Chief Whip, Whips; Cotswold, Conservative)
I rise briefly to make a point that is slightly wider than the amendments, but I hope that you will consider that to be in order, Ms Anderson, as we seem to be adopting that as our process, and then not having a clause stand part debate.
I am concerned about clause 29. Its first lines state:
''A person is guilty of an offence if, without lawful authority—
(a) he provides any person with information that he is required to keep confidential''.
This is another clause that has much wider ramifications than merely identity cards. This is labelled as an identity card Bill, but as we scrutinise it in depth we find that a number of its provisions go far wider than that. The Minister shakes his head, so I might have got the wrong end of the stick on the measure I have just quoted, but it does not say that it is related to identity card offences. It is a completely bland and general statement.