es to participate in any research, as the Secretary of State cannot commit any agency to research activity. A Department for Education civil servant, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, will provide the written authority for a researcher to seek the disclosure of section 56 information. 11.30. Before the Secretary of State’s authority is given, research proposals will be examined carefully to assess whether the potential value of the research justifies disclosure by the agency (or agencies). The adoption agency must also be satisfied that the researcher will properly safeguard any section 56 information it discloses and its confidentiality maintained. Authorised researchers should be required by the agency to sign an undertaking to use any section 56 information only for the purposes of the research project and that no information will be published in the research findings that may enable any person involved in an adoption to be identified. Disclosure required for purposes of inquiries, inspection, etc: AIR 9 11.31. An adoption agency is required by AIR 9 to provide access to the section 56 information it holds or to disclose this information as may be required to the persons or bodies listed at AIR 9.a to h. Where a request for access to, or the disclosure of, section 56 information falls within the scope of this regulation, the agency has no discretion to withhold the information or deny access to it. The circumstances in which disclosure is required are set out in detail in chapter 6, as they are similar to those prescribed in AAR 42. Requirements relating to disclosure: AIR 10 11.32. The adoption agency must keep a written record of any disclosure made under AIR 8 or 9 on the adoption case record. This record must include a description of the information dis