In section 32 of the M1Local Government Act 1974 (law of defamation, and disclosure of information) after subsection (6) there is inserted—

“(7)

Information obtained from the Information Commissioner by virtue of section 76 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 shall be treated for the purposes of subsection (2) above as obtained for the purposes of an investigation under this Part of this Act and, in relation to such information, the reference in paragraph (a) of that subsection to the investigation shall have effect as a reference to any investigation.”

After section 33 of that Act there is inserted—

“33A Disclosure of information by Local Commissioner to Information Commissioner.

(1)

A Local Commissioner may disclose to the Information Commissioner any information obtained by, or furnished to, the Local Commissioner under or for the purposes of this Part of this Act if the information appears to the Local Commissioner to relate to—

(a)

a matter in respect of which the Information Commissioner could exercise any power conferred by—

(i)

Part V of the Data Protection Act 1998 (enforcement),

(ii)

section 48 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (practice recommendations), or

(iii)

Part IV of that Act (enforcement), or

(b)

the commission of an offence under—

(i)

any provision of the Data Protection Act 1998 other than paragraph 12 of Schedule 9 (obstruction of execution of warrant), or

(ii)

section 77 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (offence of altering etc. records with intent to prevent disclosure).

(2)

Nothing in section 32(2) of this Act shall apply in relation to the disclosure of information in accordance with this section.”