Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's policy is on responding to parliamentary questions where the subject file or letter is within the scope of the Official Secrets Act 1989.

I refer the hon. Member to the guidance on drafting answers to Parliamentary Questions on gov.uk, available at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/drafting-answers-to-parliamentary-questions-guidance

The guidance makes clear that Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament and the public and only withhold information where its disclosure would not be in the public interest. Such public interest would be determined with the relevant legislation in mind (Freedom of Information, Data Protection and the Official Secrets Acts etc).