Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007

50Power to authorise use of information by the BoardU.K.

(1)Subject to this section, the Minister for the Cabinet Office may make regulations for the purpose of authorising the Board to use information received from a public authority where the use would otherwise be prohibited by a rule of law or an Act passed before this Act.

(2)Regulations under subsection (1) may only authorise use to enable the Board to carry out one or more of its functions, other than its function under section 22 (statistical services).

(3)Regulations under subsection (1) may—

(a)amend or modify any enactment;

(b)contain consequential and supplementary provision.

(4)The Minister for the Cabinet Office may only make regulations under subsection (1) with the consent of—

(a)the Treasury, in a case where the regulations authorise the use of information received from the Commissioners for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs or an officer of Revenue and Customs, or

(b)a Minister of the Crown (other than the Minister for the Cabinet Office), in any other case.

(5)The Minister for the Cabinet Office may only make regulations under subsection (1) authorising the use of any information if the Minister and the person consenting to the regulations are satisfied that—

(a)the Board needs to use the information to enable it to carry out the function or functions for which the use is authorised, and

(b)the use is in the public interest.

(6)Where the Minister for the Cabinet Office is the relevant Minister in relation to a public authority, subsection (4)(b) and the reference in subsection (5) to the person consenting to the regulations do not apply.

(7)For the purposes of subsection (6), the Minister for the Cabinet Office is the relevant Minister in relation to such public authorities, or public authorities of such description, as the Minister may by order prescribe.

(8)The Treasury must consult the Commissioners for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs before giving its consent under subsection (4)(a).