Maurice Hayes (Independent)

I wondered whether in relation to this the Minister would think about the problems of complementarity. I take the point Senator Mansergh made. If it was a Northern Ireland issue which was manifestly not of huge importance, it might be odd if access were refused in Dublin when access had already been granted in Belfast or in London.

Equally, in regard to international relations, it is worth thinking of the effect of Freedom of Information Acts in other jurisdictions. I remember one famous case where a Swedish ombudsman was hugely embarrassed because some thoughtful Swede had made use of the Freedom of Information Act in Portugal to get information there. Would it be a good idea to try to ensure parity of esteem for official secrets in all jurisdictions?