16 (1) The appropriate Minister for a department may refuse to provide information to which the Committee would, but for this section, otherwise be entitled to have access and that is under the control of that department, but only if he or she is of the opinion that         

(a) the information constitutes          special operational information, as defined in subsection 8(1) of the Security of Information Act; and

(b) provision of the information would be injurious to national security.         

(2) If the appropriate Minister refuses to provide information under subsection (1), he or she must inform the Committee of his or her decision and the reasons for the decision.         

(3) If the appropriate Minister makes the decision in respect of any of the following information, he or she must provide the decision and reasons to,         

(a) in the case of information under the control of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police;         

(b) in the case of information under the control of the Communications Security Establishment, the Commissioner of the Communications Security Establishment; and         

(c) in the case of information under the control of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Security Intelligence Review Committee.