Part 5: Digital Government Chapter 5: Sharing for research purposes Section 64: Disclosure of information for research purposes
Subsection (1) allows public authorities to share information that they hold in connection with their functions for the purposes of research. Information-sharing arrangements in support of these provisions will allow two or more public authorities to share and link information in secure conditions. Both non-personal and personal information can be disclosed pursuant to section 64(1). Non-personal information includes information from surveys or from existing findings or studies. This could also include Unique Property Reference Numbers if the view is taken that they are not personal information.
	For the purposes of safeguarding the privacy of individuals, section 64 provides that six conditions must be met before "personal information" can be disclosed under subsection (1).
	The first condition is that information must be processed before it is disclosed if it identifies a particular person. Subsection (12) provides that information identifies a particular person if the information specifies the identity of a person or if a person’s identity can be deduced from the information (whether by itself or taken together with any other information). A "particular person" includes a body corporate (subsection (11)). The public authority may process its own information or another public authority, or some other person, may process the information on its behalf (subsection (4)). Other persons may include private companies which specialise in removing "identifiers" from information and those which provide secure access to personal information provided in both cases that they are accredited to do so in accordance with the fifth condition.
	Processing the information involves removing identifying information so that (a) the information does not specify a person’s identity and (b) it is not reasonably likely that the identity of a person will be deduced from the information (whether by itself or taken together with any other information). Subsection (5) permits the disclosure of personal information, as defined by subsection (11), to processors, for the purposes of processing it for disclosure under section 64(1). When it comes to information disclosed by the Revenue and Customs, the Welsh Revenue Authority and Revenue Scotland, a processor will need the consent of the relevant revenue authority before making a disclosure under subsection (5)(b).
	By subsection (6), the second condition is that each person who is involved in processing the information for disclosure takes reasonable steps to (a) minimise the risk of the accidental disclosure of information which identifies a particular person and (b) prevent the deliberate unlawful disclosure of such information.
	By subsection (7), the third condition is that the disclosure under subsection (1) is made by the public authority or by a person involved in processing the information for disclosure.
	By subsection (8), the fourth condition is that the research for the purposes of which the information is disclosed is accredited under section 71. By virtue of section 71(4), the research must be in the public interest. Criteria for determining whether research is in the public interest will be set out in the code of practice established by section 70.
	By subsection (9), the fifth condition is that the following persons must also be accredited: (a) any person involved in processing information for disclosure (including the public authority if it is involved in processing its own information); (b) any person to whom information is disclosed (including providers of secure access facilities, which provide researchers and peer reviewers with carefully controlled access to the information); and (c) any person by whom such information is used for research purposes, such as researchers and peer reviewers.
	By subsection (10), the sixth condition is that each person who discloses the information or is involved in processing it for disclosure must have regard to the code of practice under section 70 in doing so.
	Subsections (11) and (12) define "personal information" and information that "identifies a particular person".