We are not talking about him and me, we are talking about the Revenue and the director. They represent public bodies that are accountable in different ways.

The point of the provision is straightforward: if a person or an organisation hands information to the director, that person or organisation is entitled to say to whom, and in what circumstances, he can pass it on. In other words, certain proprieties would be attached to such information. I thought that the hon. Gentleman would support that. If the Revenue gives information to the director, it will want to know that he has a good reason for asking for it, and how he will use it, and what led him to make the request. If he wishes to pass that information to someone else, the Revenue will want to be satisfied that it has some control as to the circumstances in which he will do that, so that it can impose conditions, if that is thought to be necessary. The provision enables the Revenue to do that.

On the extent to which the passing on of information will be controlled, the hon. Member for Beaconsfield raised a point about foreign powers. The restrictions will be imposed on the director, rather than on the foreign Government--or tax authority, or prosecuting authorities. Those restrictions address how, in what way, and with what limitations, the director can further disclose. We have effective control of the way in which he will conduct his business, and he will be obliged to comply with the restrictions that are placed on him.