CO (01) 10
31 July 2001
Enquiries:
Martin Bell, Ph: 04-471 9740
Margaret Stacey, Ph: 04-471 9758
Revised Security Classifications System: Application to Cabinet Documents
This circular has been amended, where relevant, to refer to the Security
in the Government Sector manual, published in 2002. Amendments are shown in
square brackets.
Summary of Key Points
- Cabinet Office will apply the revised security classifications
system to Cabinet documents from 1 August 2001.
- It is the responsibility of the originating government department
or agency (or Minister's office) to determine the level of security classification
applicable to a Cabinet submission in preparation. The classification
allocated by the originator will ensure that the submission is given the
appropriate level of protection at all stages.
- Cabinet submissions containing personal information, such as
appointments submissions to the Cabinet Appointments and Honours Committee,
should be classified as In Confidence, or Staff: In Confidence, as appropriate.
- All departments, Ministers' offices and other government agencies
which handle Cabinet documents must ensure that classified Cabinet documents
are managed strictly in accordance with the guidelines contained in the
[Security in the Government Sector manual].
- The minimum handling requirement for Cabinet documents that
do not have a specific classification is In Confidence.
Introduction
-
1
- In December 2000 Cabinet approved a revised system of security classifications
for protecting official information. This revised system was promulgated
as Addendum 2001 to the Security in Government Departments manual1,
[the most recent edition of this manual was published in 2002 as Security
in the Government Sector]. The revised system is being implemented during
2001/02 after which time compliance will be subject to audit.
-
2
- This circular outlines the application of the revised classification system
to Cabinet documents (the term "Cabinet documents" in this circular
refers to Cabinet and Cabinet committee agendas, submissions, and minutes.
The term "Cabinet submission" means a submission for Cabinet or
its committees).
-
3
- Chief Executives and Senior Private Secretaries are responsible for ensuring
that:
- all staff involved in the handling of Cabinet documents or preparation
of Cabinet submissions are familiar with the advice in this circular;
- the material in this circular is conveyed to all Crown entities or
other government agencies for which their Minister is responsible, which
are involved in the preparation of Cabinet submissions or the handling
of Cabinet documents.
-
Revised Security Classifications System
-
4
- Under the revised system the security classifications of Sensitive
and In Confidence will be used for information that requires protection
for public interest or personal privacy reasons. The existing classifications
of Top Secret, Secret and Confidential will continue
to be used to protect information concerned with national security, with
the addition of Restricted as a new national security classification.
-
5
- A summary of the classifications and their applications is set out in
the table below2.
-
| Security Classifications3 |
| Information
requiring protection for public interest or personal privacy reasons |
| Sensitive |
Compromise of information would be
likely to damage the interests of the New Zealand government or
endanger the safety of its citizens |
| In Confidence |
Compromise of information would be
likely to prejudice the maintenance of law and order, impede the
effective conduct of government in New Zealand or affect adversely
the privacy of its citizens |
| Information
requiring protection for national security reasons (ie New Zealand's
security, defence, or international relations) |
| Top Secret |
Compromise of information would damage
national interests in an exceptionally grave manner |
| Secret |
Compromise of information would damage
national interests in a serious manner |
| Confidential |
Compromise of information would damage
national interests in a significant manner |
| Restricted |
Compromise of information would damage
national interests in an adverse manner |
-
Endorsement Markings
-
6
- A range of endorsement markings4 may also
be used with security classifications to describe the nature of the information
being protected. Examples of endorsements used for Cabinet papers are:
| Budget: |
proposed or actual measures for the Budget prior to their announcement |
| Commercial: |
sensitive commercial processes, negotiations or affairs |
| Staff: |
reference to named or identifiable staff. |
-
7
- These endorsements, when combined with a security classification, result
in the following examples of classifications and endorsements used for Cabinet
papers:
| Budget: Sensitive |
|
Commercial: Sensitive |
| Commercial: In Confidence |
|
Staff: In Confidence |
-
Application of Classifications to Cabinet Documents
-
8
- The application of classifications on submissions should be in compliance
with the [Security in the Government Sector manual].
-
9
- It is the responsibility of the originating government department or agency
(or Minister's office) to determine the level of classification applicable
to a Cabinet submission that they are preparing in order to ensure that
the submission receives the appropriate level of protection at all stages
of consideration.
-
10
- The revised classifications system means that some of the classifications
previously used for Cabinet documents will change. The table below sets
out the changes to the main classifications and endorsements currently used
for Cabinet documents:
-
| Changes to Commonly
Used Classifications and Endorsements for Cabinet Papers5 |
| Previous System |
Revised System |
| Budget : Secret |
Budget : Sensitive |
| Commercial : Secret |
Commercial : Sensitive |
| Commercial : In Confidence |
Commercial : In Confidence |
| In Confidence |
Sensitive or In Confidence |
| Staff : In Confidence |
Staff : In Confidence |
| Restricted (this term will now be used
as a national security classification (see paragraph
5) |
Sensitive or In Confidence (or use
a national security classification if appropriate) |
-
11
- Consideration should also be given to whether the new classifications
of Sensitive and In Confidence should be used for material
not covered by previous classifications.
-
12
- All Cabinet submissions containing personal information, such as papers
on appointments prepared for the Cabinet Appointments and Honours Committee,
should be classified as In Confidence. The classification and endorsement
Staff: In Confidence should be used if the paper concerns information
on named staff of an organisation.
-
13
- If a submission is submitted to the Cabinet Office without a classification
and it appears that the information in the submission should be classified,
the Cabinet Office will assign a classification in consultation with the
relevant Minister's office.
-
Commencement Date
-
14
- The Cabinet Office will commence using the revised classification system
for Cabinet documents from 1 August 2001.
-
15
- The Parliamentary Counsel Office will start using the classification of
In Confidence for draft bills and regulations from 1 August 2001,
rather than the classification of Restricted as currently.
-
16
- Treasury has also advised that Cabinet submissions containing information
previously classified as Budget: Secret should now use the term Budget:
Sensitive.
-
Guidelines for Handling Cabinet Documents
-
17
- Departments and other government agencies handling Cabinet documents are
accountable for ensuring the secure handling of Cabinet material in accordance
with the protective security principles, and measures for the protection
of classified information outlined in the [Security in the Government Sector
manual6].
-
18
- Each classification has specific guidelines on how the information to
be protected should be handled in terms of electronic and paper transmission,
storage and disposal. Full details of these updated guidelines have been
provided to departments by the State Services Commission (letter to Chief
Executives of 12 March 2001).
-
19
- All classified Cabinet documents should be handled in accordance with
those guidelines. The minimum handling requirements for Cabinet papers that
do not have a specific classification should be those for the classification
of In Confidence.
-
20
- Annex 1 of this circular provides a guide
to the handling, storage and transmission requirements for classified Cabinet
documents. These requirements apply to Cabinet documents at the draft and
final stages. The key points are:
- the Cabinet Office delivers Cabinet documents by hand to Ministers'
offices.
- Cabinet documents must be transferred securely between Ministers'
offices and departments. This means that papers must be enveloped if
being delivered by messenger or courier.
- Cabinet submissions being sent by departments to their Minister's
office or other departments may be transmitted electronically (ie email)
but the information must be encrypted if it is classified as Sensitive
or has a national security classification.
- subject to assessment of the risk, submissions classified as In
Confidence may be transmitted electronically without being encrypted.
- submissions up to the Sensitive or Restricted level
may be sent by facsimile, within New Zealand, on an infrequent basis.
Appropriate administrative safeguards should be used to ensure that
the intended recipient receives the submission and it is handled securely.
- all Cabinet documents should be kept in secure lockable storage when
not in use.
-
21
- Ministers' offices are also reminded that Cabinet documents sent to a
Minister outside the parliamentary complex, by VIP Transport or a courier,
must be placed in an approved lockable bag.
-
Further Information
-
22
- For questions or further information about classifications and the handling
of Cabinet papers: contact the Cabinet Office Registrar, Margaret Stacey,
(phone: 04-471 9758; email: margaret.stacey@parliament.govt.nz).
-
23
- Further information is available on:
-
Footnotes
-
1. [http://www.security.govt.nz/sigs/html/chapter3.html]
-
2. Note that Classifications in themselves do
not allow official information to be withheld under the Official Information
Act 1982. All requests under the Official Information Act must be considered
using the criteria in the Act regardless of the classification given to
the document concerned.
-
3.[http://www.security.govt.nz/sigs/html/chapter3.html
]
-
4. [http://www.security.govt.nz/sigs/html/chapter3.html#Heading765]
-
5. There are no changes to the current national
security classifications of Top Secret, Secret and Confidential
-
6. [http://www.security.govt.nz/sigs/]
-
Marie Shroff
Secretary of the Cabinet
