77.—(1) A board of inquiry shall, either in public or in private at its discretion, inquire into any matters referred to it and report thereon to the Minister.
(2) A board of inquiry may if it thinks fit make interim reports.
(3) Any report of a board of inquiry, and any minority report, shall be presented as soon as possible to Parliament.
(4) The Minister may, whether before or after any such report has been presented to Parliament, publish or cause to be published from time to time in such manner as he thinks fit any information obtained or conclusion arrived at by the board of inquiry as a result or in the course of its inquiry.
(5) There shall not be included in any report or publication made or authorised by the board of inquiry or the Minister any information obtained by the board in the course of its inquiry as to any trade union or as to any individual business (whether carried on by a person, firm or company) which is not available otherwise than through evidence given at the inquiry except with the consent of the trade union or of the person, firm or company in question.
(6) Any individual member of the board of inquiry or any person concerned in the inquiry who, without such consent, discloses any such information shall be guilty of an offence.