Commentary on provisions of Act Section 34: Information-sharing
This section provides for the sharing of data between the Secretary of State and the Scottish Ministers.
	Subsection (1) allows information held by the Secretary of State (or by a person providing services to him or her) for the purpose of a social security function to be supplied to the Scottish Ministers (or to their service providers), for use for the purpose of a relevant Scottish social security function.
	Subsection (3) allows information held by the Scottish Ministers (or by their service providers) for the purpose of a relevant Scottish social security function to be supplied to the Secretary of State (or to a person providing services to him or her) for use for the purpose of a social security function.
	Subsection (7) defines the social security functions and relevant Scottish social security functions for the purposes of which information may be supplied. By virtue of subsection (8) this includes any other functions as may be prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State. Subsections (9) and (10) provide that such regulations must be by Statutory Instrument and subject to the affirmative procedure.
	Where information has been supplied for use for the purpose of a social security function or a relevant Scottish social security function, subsections (2) and (4) permit the recipient to use that information for any other purpose for which information held for those purposes could be used. However, subsection (6) provides that information supplied under this section must not be passed on to another person or body without the authority of the original supplier (that is, the Secretary of State or the Scottish Ministers).