Mr. Simon McGarr:

No, I do not feel it has even done enough to protect the lower level in this heads of Bill. However, the question arises as to whether it would be desirable to protect everyone's data to the highest level. In other words, we would say this is the level we should apply to those special conditions and we will move everybody's protections up to that level. In principle, that would be attractive and sensible given that we would then lose the problems, which the Department recognises are very valid, of creating a two-tier process where we argue over whether or not the communication on a particular instance of a person who falls inside a class falls inside the protected communications sub-class. An example would be where a trade unionist talks to a member who is also a friend. We do not want queries about whether or not the legislative provisions apply to-----