Singapore legislation
Section 17
Section 17
Release of census information
(1)
The Superintendent must, upon receipt of the schedules and returns forwarded under this Act, cause reports to be made of them, and those reports must be printed and published for general information.
(2)
Prior to and after the publication of the reports mentioned in subsection (1), abstracts and special tabulations may be released for general information.
(3)
In any report or abstract prepared under subsection (1) or (2), the information compiled in the report or abstract must be so arranged as to prevent any particulars contained in the report or abstract from being identified as being particulars relating to any individual person, except with the previous consent in writing of that person.
(4)
Any particulars or information or part thereof relating to any individual person obtained under the provisions of this Act must not, without the previous consent in writing of that person, be disclosed except —
compiled statistics on the operation of an industry may be published irrespective of the number of persons engaged in that industry unless the industry is exempted by the Minister responsible for the Government department or ministry in possession of those particulars from having its data published;
where the disclosure can be made without identifying the individual person and, in the opinion of the Minister responsible for the Government department or ministry in possession of such particulars, an appropriate time has elapsed;
for the purposes of any proceedings for an offence under this Act or any report of those proceedings; or
information of a general nature which could be obtained from other sources.
(5)
It is the duty of the Minister responsible for the Government department or ministry in possession of such particulars to have due regard to the circumstances of various trades and industries and, in particular, to the importance of avoiding the disclosure in any return of any trade secret or of trading profit, or of any other information the disclosure of which would be likely to tend to the prejudice of the person furnishing the return.