Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

Changes over time for: Section 20

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Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, Section 20 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 28 April 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.

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Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.

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Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:

Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):

s. 10(12) inserted by 2023 c. 37 s. 10(6)
s. 40(1)-(1C) substituted for s. 40(1) by 2022 c. 36 s. 76(2)
s. 40(4A)(4B) inserted by 2022 c. 36 s. 76(5)
s. 72(10) repealed by 2004 c. 19 Sch. 4
s. 94(2A)-(2C) inserted by 2016 c. 19 Sch. 11 para. 3(3)
s. 94(2D) inserted by 2016 c. 19 Sch. 11 para. 7(4)
s. 94(3)(3A) substituted for s. 94(3) by 2002 c. 41 s. 44(4) (This amendment is repealed (prosp.) by 2016 c. 19, Sch. 11 para. 41)
s. 94(3A)-(3D) inserted by 2016 c. 19 Sch. 11 para. 3(5)
s. 95A inserted by 2016 c. 19 Sch. 11 para. 9
s. 96(1A) inserted by 2016 c. 19 Sch. 11 para. 10(3)
s. 97(3A)(b)(iv) inserted by 2022 c. 36 s. 13(2)(c)(ii)
s. 97(8)(9) inserted by 2016 c. 19 Sch. 11 para. 11(4)
s. 98A inserted by 2016 c. 19 Sch. 11 para. 13
s. 98A(5) inserted by 2022 c. 36 s. 13(4)
s. 103(4)(a) words substituted by 2004 c. 19 s. 10(4)(b)
s. 103(5)(b) word substituted by S.I. 2008/2833 Sch. 3 para. 183(ii)
s. 103A(1) words substituted by 2004 c. 19 s. 10(5)
s. 103A(1) heading words substituted by 2004 c. 19 s. 10(5)
s. 103A(1) words substituted by S.I. 2008/2833 Sch. 3 para. 184
s. 125(2)(ba) inserted by 2016 c. 19 Sch. 11 para. 22(3)(b)
s. 146(2)(za) inserted by 2016 c. 19 s. 44(9)
s. 166(5)(ca) substituted for word in s. 166(5)(c) by 2016 c. 19 Sch. 11 para. 24(2)
s. 166(5A)(5B) inserted by 2016 c. 19 Sch. 11 para. 24(3)
s. 166(6)(aa) substituted for word in s. 166(6)(a) by 2016 c. 19 Sch. 11 para. 24(4)
Sch. 2 para. 21 modified by 2002 c. 41 s. 23(2)(a)
Sch. 3 para. 2(5) modified by 2002 c. 41 s. 23(2)(b)

20[F1Power to supply information etc to Secretary of State]U.K.

This section has no associated Explanatory Notes

(1)This section applies to information held by—

[F2(a)a public authority, or

(b)any specified person, for purposes specified in relation to that person.]

[F3(1A)This section also applies to a document or article which—

(a)comes into the possession of [F4a public authority or someone acting on behalf of a public authority] , or

(b)is discovered by [F5a public authority or someone acting on behalf of a public authority] .]

[F6(1B)This section does not apply to—

(a)information which is held by the Crown Prosecution Service, or

(b)a document or article which comes into the possession of, or is discovered by, the Crown Prosecution Service, or someone acting on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service,

if section 40 of the UK Borders Act 2007 applies to the information, document or article.]

(2)The information [F7, document or article] may be supplied to the Secretary of State for use for immigration purposes.

[F8(2A)The Secretary of State may—

(a)retain for immigration purposes a document or article supplied to him under subsection (2), and

(b)dispose of a document or article supplied to him under subsection (2) in such manner as he thinks appropriate (and the reference to use in subsection (2) includes a reference to disposal).]

[F9(2B)Subsection (2A)(a) does not affect any other power of the Secretary of State to retain a document or article.]

(3)“Immigration purposes” means any of the following—

(a)the administration of immigration control under the Immigration Acts;

(b)the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of criminal offences under those Acts;

(c)the imposition of penalties or charges under Part II;

(d)the provision of support for asylum-seekers and their dependants under Part VI;

[F10(da)anything else that is done in connection with the exercise of a function under any of the Immigration Acts;]

(e)such other purposes as may be specified.

[F11(3A)Public authority” means a person with functions of a public nature but does not include—

(a)Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs,

(b)either House of Parliament or a person exercising functions in connection with proceedings in Parliament,

(c)the Scottish Parliament or a person exercising functions in connection with proceedings in the Scottish Parliament,

(d)the National Assembly for Wales or a person exercising functions in connection with proceedings in that Assembly, or

(e)the Northern Ireland Assembly or a person exercising functions in connection with proceedings in that Assembly.]

F12(4). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5)“Specified” means specified in an order made by the Secretary of State.

(6)This section does not limit the circumstances in which information [F13, documents or articles] may be supplied apart from this section.

[F14(7)Nothing in this section authorises information, a document or an article to be supplied if to do so would contravene a restriction on the disclosure of information (however imposed).]

Textual Amendments

F1S. 20 heading substituted (12.7.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), ss. 55(2), 94(1); S.I. 2016/603, reg. 3(h)

F2S. 20(1)(a)(b) substituted for s. 20(1)(a)-(f) (12.7.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), ss. 55(3), 94(1); S.I. 2016/603, reg. 3(h)

F3S. 20(1A) inserted (10.2.2003) by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41), ss. 132(2), 162(1) (with s. 159); S.I. 2003/1, art. 2, Sch.

F4Words in s. 20(1A)(a) substituted (12.7.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), ss. 55(4), 94(1); S.I. 2016/603, reg. 3(h)

F5Words in s. 20(1A)(b) substituted (12.7.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), ss. 55(4), 94(1); S.I. 2016/603, reg. 3(h)

F6S. 20(1B) inserted (12.7.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), ss. 55(5), 94(1); S.I. 2016/603, reg. 3(h)

F7Words in s. 20(2) inserted (10.2.2003) by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41), ss. 132(3), 162(1) (with s. 159); S.I. 2003/1, art. 2, Sch.

F8S. 20(2A) inserted (10.2.2003) by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41), ss. 132(4), 162(1) (with s. 159); S.I. 2003/1, art. 2, Sch.

F9S. 20(2B) inserted (12.7.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), ss. 55(6), 94(1); S.I. 2016/603, reg. 3(h)

F10S. 20(3)(da) inserted (12.7.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), ss. 55(7), 94(1); S.I. 2016/603, reg. 3(h)

F11S. 20(3A) inserted (12.7.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), ss. 55(8), 94(1); S.I. 2016/603, reg. 3(h)