Education and Inspections Act 2006

132 Power to inspect documents, etc.

(1) This section applies to any inspection conducted by the Chief Inspector under this Chapter, other than one conducted under section 126(2).

(2) If the Chief Inspector considers it necessary or expedient for the purposes of the inspection, he may inspect, take copies of, or take away any documents relating to the education or training inspected which are on any premises in relation to which he exercises his power of entry under section 131.

(3) The power in subsection (2) includes—

(a) power to require any person holding or accountable for any documents kept on the premises to produce them, and

(b) in relation to any such documents kept by means of a computer, power to require them to be produced in a form in which they are legible and can be taken away.

(4) In connection with inspecting any such documents the Chief Inspector—

(a) may obtain access to, and inspect and check the operation of, any computer and associated apparatus or material which he considers is or has been in use in connection with the documents; and

(b) may require a person within subsection (5) to afford him such reasonable assistance as he may require for that purpose.

(5) A person is within this subsection if he is—

(a) the person by whom or on whose behalf the computer is or has been used, or

(b) a person having charge of, or otherwise concerned with the operation of, the computer, apparatus or material.

(6) The powers conferred by this section may be exercised by the Chief Inspector at reasonable times only; and a person may not be required to do anything in pursuance of any provision of this section otherwise than at a reasonable time.

(7) Any person who without reasonable excuse—

(a) obstructs the exercise of any power conferred by section 131 or this section, or

(b) fails to comply with any requirement imposed under this section,

is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.