68E+WThe following section shall be inserted after section 139—
(1)Subsection (2) below applies where—
(a)the Secretary of State serves a notice on a relevant authority or relevant officer requiring it or him to supply to the Secretary of State information specified in the notice,
(b)the information is required by the Secretary of State for the purpose of deciding whether to exercise his powers, and how to perform his functions, under this Act, and
(c)the information is not personal information.
(2)The authority or officer shall supply the information required, and shall do so in such form and manner and at such time as the Secretary of State specifies in the notice.
(3)If an authority or officer fails to comply with subsection (2) above the Secretary of State may assume the information required to be such as he sees fit; and in such a case the Secretary of State may decide in accordance with the assumption whether to exercise his powers, and how to perform his functions, under this Act.
(4)In deciding whether to exercise his powers, and how to perform his functions, under this Act the Secretary of State may also take into accountany other information available to him, whatever its source and whether or not obtained under a provision contained in or made under this or any other Act.
(5)Each of the following is a relevant authority—
(a)a charging authority;
(b)a precepting authority.
(6)The community charges registration officer for a charging authority is a relevant officer.
(7)Personal information is information which relates to an individual (living or dead) who can be identified from that information or from that and other information supplied to any person by the authority or officer concerned; and personal information includes any expression of opinion about the individual and any indication of the intentions of any person in respect of the individual.
(8)This section shall have effect before 1 April 1990 as if after paragraph (b) of subsection (5) above there were inserted—
(c)the Inner London Education Authority.”