Local Government Act 1985

Access to documents of councils E+W

9 (1) Any person authorised in that behalf by the London Residuary Body or the residuary body established for a county shall be entitled on producing, if so required, evidence of his authority— E+W

(a) at all reasonable times to inspect and make copies of any document belonging to or under the control of the Greater London Council or the council of that county, as the case may be; and

(b) to require copies of any such document to be delivered to him.

(2) Any person having custody of any such document who without reasonable excuse—

(a) obstructs a person in the exercise of his rights under sub-paragraph (1) above; or

(b) refuses or fails to comply with any requirement imposed under that sub-paragraph,

shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding the third level on the standard scale and to an additional fine not exceeding £40 for each day on which the offence continues after conviction thereof.

(3) References in this paragraph to copies of a document include references to copies of any part of it.

(4) In this paragraph “document” includes any record of information and, where the record is not in legible form, the rights conferred by sub-paragraph (1) above include the right to require the information to be made available in legible form for inspection or copying and to require copies of it in that form to be delivered.