F1The council of a non-metropolitan county may conduct, or assist in the conducting of, investigations into, and the collection of information relating to, any matters concerning the county or any part of the county and may make, or assist in the making of, arrangements whereby any such information and the results of any such investigation are made available to any other local authority in the county, any government department or the public.

The appropriate Minister with respect to any matter may require the council of a county to provide him with any information with respect to that matter which is in the possession of, or available to, that council or any other local authority in the county in consequence of the exercise of any power conferred by or under any enactment; and where such requirement is made in respect of any information which is in the possession of, or available to, any other local authority in the county, but not the county council, the county council may require that other authority to furnish them with that information.