(1)Any person who has the custody of an electronic register book of services may, for a limited period and in the manner approved by the bishop of the diocese concerned, make the register book available for the purpose of exhibition or research or for the purpose of enabling a copy to be made of the register book or any part of it.
(2)The power conferred by subsection (1) may be exercised at the request of any person; but, whether or not such a request is made, the power may be exercised only with the consent of the parochial church council concerned.
(3)Where such a request is refused or the parochial church council refuses to give its consent, the bishop of the diocese concerned may, on the application of the person who made the request, order the register book to be made available for the period and in the manner specified in the order.
(4)Before exercising the power under subsection (3), the bishop must give the person who has the custody of the register book and the parochial church council concerned an opportunity to make representations.]
Textual Amendments
F1S. 16A inserted (16.11.2023) by Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 2020 (No. 1), ss. 8(3), 16(3); S.I. 2023/1264, art. 2