40.—(1) A certificate signed by a member of the Scottish Executive certifying that disclosure of information to the public would adversely affect national security is conclusive evidence of that fact.
(2) A certificate under paragraph (1) may be given in relation to specific information or to information of a specified kind and may be expressed to have prospective effect.
(3) A document purporting to be a certificate under paragraph (1) shall be received in evidence and deemed to be such a certificate unless the contrary is proved.
(4) A document which purports to be certified by or on behalf of a member of the Scottish Executive as a true copy of a certificate issued by a member of the Scottish Executive under paragraph (1) shall in any legal proceedings be sufficient evidence (or in England and Wales evidence) of that certificate.