7 C. Exchange of views with the liaison officers appointed under Article 15 of the Convention 12. On 4 March 1994, the CPT held a meeting with the liaison officers appointed by States Parties under Article 15 of the Convention. This meeting coincided with the completion of the first round of periodic visits, and its purpose was to gather the views of the Parties to the Convention on the CPT's activities and to provide a forum for addressing practical issues arising out of the Committee's visits. Twenty-three of the then twenty-five Parties to the Convention were represented at the meeting. 13. Naturally, the role of the liaison officer - both before, during and after visits - was considered in some depth. In this context, it was agreed, inter alia, that States should take the initiative of updating the information required under Article 8 of the Convention (in particular as regards places of detention within their jurisdiction) on a regular (eg. annual or biennial) basis. There was also agreement that the developing practice of national authorities providing visiting delegations with identity documents/passes (in addition to the identity papers issued by the Council of Europe) should be encouraged. Emphasis was placed on the importance of being able to contact liaison officers on a 24 hour basis in the course of visits. Further, certain participants requested that visiting delegations contact the liaison officer on a daily basis, in order to pre-empt problems which might arise. Diverging views were expressed as regards relations with the media. Certain liaison officers maintained that contact with the media should be avoided during the visit itself. However, other liaison officers felt that it might be useful for the national authorities - possibly acting jointly with the CPT - to issue a statement at the outset of a visit; such a statement could inter alia explain the importance of the rule of confidentiality. 14. A detailed exchange of views was held on the issue of a delegation's right of access to medical records and to documents concerning a detained person held by police or judicial authorities, on the basis of Article 8 (2) (d) of the Convention ("A Party shall provide the Committee with ..... other information ..... which is necessary for the Committee to carry out its task"). In this connection, the CPT emphasised that it was for the Committee to determine which information it required to complete its task. Furthermore, when stating that "in seeking such information, the Committee shall have regard to applicable rules of national law and professional ethics", the Convention was simply laying down procedural rules to be respected by the CPT in gaining access to the information required. These provisions could not be used to justify a refusal to grant access to the information requested, nor access under conditions which would be tantamount to a refusal.