12 Official Information 16. Documents – (1) Where the information requested by any person is comprised in a document, that information may be made available in one or more of the following ways (a) by giving the person a reasonable opportunity to inspect and copy the document; or (b) by providing the person with a copy of the document; or (c) in the case of a document that is an article or thing from which sounds or visual images are capable of being reproduced, by making arrangements for the person to hear or view those sounds or visual images; or (d) in the case of a document by which words are recorded in a manner in which they are capable of being reproduced in the form of sound or in which words are contained in the form of shorthand writing or in codified form, by providing the person with a written transcript of the words recorded or contained in the document; or (e) by giving an excerpt or summary of the contents; or (f) by furnishing oral information about its contents. (2) Subject to section 17 of this Act, the Ministry or Minister of the Crown or organisation shall make the information available in either way preferred by the person requesting it unless to do so would – (a) impair efficient administration; or (b) be contrary to any legal duty of the Ministry or Minister of the Crown or organisation in respect of the document; or (c) prejudice the interests protected by section 6 or section 7 or section 8 of this Act and (in the case of the interests protected by section 8 of this Act) there is no countervailing public interest. (3) Where the information is not provided in the way preferred by the person requesting it, the Ministry or Minister of the Crown or organisation shall, subject to section 9 of this Act, give to that person in writing – (a) the reason for not providing the information in that way; and (b) if that person so requests, the grounds in support of that reason, unless the giving of those grounds would itself prejudice the interests protected by section 6 or 7 or section 8 of this Act and (in the case of the interests protected by section 8 of this Act) there is no countervailing public interest. 17. Deletion of information from documents – (1) Where the information requested is comprised in a document and there is a good reason for withholding some of the information contained in that document, the other information in that document may be made available by making a copy of that document available with such deletions or alterations as are necessary.