TNAG-1841-FCO40-2616-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 57

Annex C.

ANNEXC (para 16.17)

THE DISCLOSURE OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION TO PARLIAMENTARY SELECT

COMMITTEES

1.

General

oral or

written

evidence to for officials giving guidance Parliamentary Select Committees is contained in General Notice GEN 76/78. In the case of Parliamentary Select Committees, the problem is to decide what classified information can properly be withheid rather than what can be disclosed: this Annex

may be disclosed. sets out the conditions under which classified information

2. The House of Commons authorities will ensure that any information classified SECRET or TOP SECRET disclosed for the information of Select Committees will be restricted to those persons to whom the Department has agreed to release it. In practice this would mean only the members of the Select Committee or of the Sub- Committee concerned and, in the case of a Sub-Committee, the Chairman of the Main Committee in addition. The disclosure of information classified RESTRICTED or CONFIDENTIAL will be similarly limited, except that where it has been disclosed to members of Sub-Committees it may also be made available to members of the Main Committee concerned.

3.

Notwithstanding the restrictions imposed in paragraph 2 above, classified information may be disclosed to Specialist Advisers to Select Committees, provided they have been vetted in accordance with arrangements agreed with the Clerk of the House.

4.

The release of TOP SECRET information to members of Select Committees under these arrangements is subject to the approval of the responsible Minister in each case.

5.

Classified memoranda,

annexes classified or

to memoranda,

are made available to members only during Committee or Sub-Committee meetings and, on

Members Office.

to not free

take classified the Committee request, in documents away with them.

6.

are

Where oral evidence involving classified information has been given to a Select Committee in closed session, the witness should sideline the classified portions. in the shorthand writer's transcript. The sidelined portions will be excised before the evidence is printed in proof form and distributed to members of the Committee. The full record will be retained in the Committee Office for examination there by members authorised

to it in accordance with the arrangements to have access described above.

7. The appropriate personnel and physical security measures Committee Office.

are taken in the

137

tber 1986

UNCLASSIFIED