Parliamentary and Health Service Commissioners Act 1987

4 Consultation and disclosure of information.

(1) In section 11 of the 1967 Act (provision for secrecy of information), the following subsection shall be inserted after subsection (2)—

“(2A) Where the Commissioner also holds office as a Health Service Commissioner and a person initiates a complaint to him in his capacity as such a Commissioner which relates partly to a matter with respect to which that person has previously initiated a complaint under this Act, or subsequently initiates such a complaint, information obtained by the Commissioner or his officers in the course of or for the purposes of investigating the complaint under this Act may be disclosed for the purposes of his carrying out his functions in relation to the other complaint.”.

(2) The following section shall be inserted after that section—

“11A Consultations between Parliamentary Commissioner and Health Service Commissioners.

(1) Where, at any stage in the course of conducting an investigation under this Act, the Commissioner forms the opinion that the complaint relates partly to a matter within the jurisdiction of the Health Service Commissioner for England, Wales or Scotland, he shall—

(a) unless he also holds office as that Commissioner, consult about the complaint with him; and

(b) if he considers it necessary, inform the person initiating the complaint under this Act of the steps necessary to initiate a complaint under Part V of the [1977 c. 49.] National Health Service Act 1977 (Health Service Commissioner for England and for Wales) or, as the case may be, Part VI of the [1978 c. 29.] National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 (Health Service Commissioner for Scotland).

(2) Where by virtue of subsection (1) above the Commissioner consults with the Health Service Commissioner in relation to a complaint under this Act, he may consult him about any matter relating to the complaint, including—

(a) the conduct of any investigation into the complaint; and

(b) the form, content and publication of any report of the results of such an investigation.

(3) Nothing in section 11(2) of this Act shall apply in relation to the disclosure of information by the Commissioner or any of his officers in the course of consultations held in accordance with this section.”.

(3) In section 118 of the 1977 Act (consultations between Health Service Commissioners and Local Commissioners)—

(a) the following subsection shall be inserted after subsection (1)—

“(1A) Where, at any stage in the course of conducting an investigation under this Part of this Act, the Commissioner conducting the investigation forms the opinion that the complaint relates partly to a matter which could be the subject of an investigation under the [1967 c. 13.] Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967, he shall—

(a) unless he also holds office as the Parliamentary Commissioner, consult about the complaint with the Parliamentary Commissioner; and

(b) if he considers it necessary, inform the person initiating the complaint under this Part of this Act of the steps necessary to initiate a complaint under the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967.

(1B) Where, at any stage in the course of conducting an investigation under this Part of this Act, the Commissioner conducting the investigation forms the opinion that the complaint relates partly to a matter within the jurisdiction of another Health Service Commissioner (whether under this Part of this Act or under Part VI of the [1978 c. 29.] National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978), he shall—

(a) unless he also holds office as that other Health Service Commissioner, consult about the complaint with him; and

(b) if he considers it necessary, inform the person initiating the complaint under this Part of this Act of the steps necessary to initiate a complaint to the other Health Service Commissioner.”; and

(c) in subsection (2), for the words from the beginning to “any”, in the first place where it occurs, there shall be substituted the words “Where a Commissioner consults with another Commissioner in accordance with this section, the consultations may extend to”.

(4) In Schedule 13 to that Act (provisions as to investigations by Health Service Commissioner for England and for Wales), the following paragraph shall be inserted after paragraph 16—

“16A (1) Where the Commissioner also holds office as a relevant commissioner and a person initiates a complaint to him in his capacity as such a commissioner which relates partly to a matter with respect to which that person has previously initiated a complaint to him in his capacity as the Commissioner, or subsequently initiates such a complaint, information obtained by the Commissioner or his officers in the course of or for the purposes of the investigation under Part V of this Act may be disclosed for the purposes of his carrying out his functions in relation to the other complaint.

(2) In this paragraph “relevant commissioner”—

(a) in relation to the Health Service Commissioner for England, means the Parliamentary Commissioner, the Health Service Commissioner for Wales and the Health Service Commissioner for Scotland; and

(b) in relation to the Health Service Commissioner for Wales, means the Parliamentary Commissioner, the Health Service Commissioner for England and the Health Service Commissioner for Scotland.”.

(5) The following section shall be inserted after section 95 of the [1978 c. 29.] National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978—

“95A Consulting other Commissioners.

(1) Where, at any stage in the course of conducting an investigation under this Part, the Commissioner forms the opinion that the complaint relates partly to a matter which could be the subject of an investigation under—

(a) the [1967 c. 13.] Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967; or

(b) Part V of the [1977 c. 49.] National Health Service Act 1977,

he shall, if he considers it necessary, inform the person initiating the complaint of the steps necessary to initiate a complaint under the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 or, as the case may be, Part V of the National Health Service Act 1977.

(2) In the circumstances described in subsection (1), the Commissioner shall consult the Parliamentary Commissioner or the Health Service Commissioner for England or for Wales, as appropriate, about the complaint (unless he also holds office as that other Commissioner) and such consultation may extend to any matter relating to the complaint, including—

(a) the conduct of any investigation into the complaint; and

(b) the form, content and publication of any report of the results of such an investigation;

and the application by section 95 of section 11(2) of the [1967 c. 13.] Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 shall not extend to the disclosure of information by the Commissioner or any of his officers in the course of such consultations.

(3) Where the Commissioner also holds office as any of the other Commissioners mentioned in subsection (2) and a person initiates a complaint to him in his capacity as such other Commissioner which relates partly to a matter with respect to which that person has previously initiated a complaint to him under this Part, or subsequently initiates such a complaint, information obtained by him or his officers in the course of or for the purposes of the investigation under this Part may be disclosed for the purposes of his carrying out his functions as such other Commissioner in relation to that person’s complaint.”.