In the Care Standards Act 2000, after section 30ZN (inserted by section 19(2)) insert—

“Information sharing

30ZOInformation sharing

(1)

The Secretary of State may require the CIECSS to provide relevant information to the Secretary of State for use in connection with the Secretary of State’s functions under this Part.

(2)

The CIECSS may otherwise provide relevant information to the Secretary of State for use in connection with those functions.

(3)

The Secretary of State may provide relevant information to the CIECSS for use in connection with the CIECSS’s functions under this Part.

(4)

“Relevant information” means information held by a person in connection with their functions under this Part.

(5)

The Secretary of State may provide financial oversight information to the Care Quality Commission for use in connection with the Commission’s functions under sections 54 to 56 of the Care Act 2014.

(6)

“Financial oversight information” means information held by the Secretary of State in connection with the Secretary of State’s functions under sections 30ZE to 30ZJ.

(7)

This section does not limit the circumstances in which information may be disclosed apart from this section.

(8)

A disclosure of information authorised by or required under this section does not breach—

(a)

any obligation of confidence owed by the person making the disclosure, or

(b)

any other restriction on the disclosure of information (however imposed).”

In the Care Act 2014, after section 56 insert—

“56AProvision of information to the Secretary of State

(1)

The Care Quality Commission may provide market oversight information to the Secretary of State for use in connection with the Secretary of State’s functions under sections 30ZE to 30ZJ of the Care Standards Act 2000.

(2)

“Market oversight information” means information held by the Commission in connection with its functions under sections 54 to 56.

(3)

A disclosure of information authorised by subsection (1) does not breach—

(a)

any obligation of confidence owed by the person making the disclosure, or

(b)

any other restriction on the disclosure of information (however imposed).”