Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976

23 General provisions as to the register

(1) The register for the purposes of this Act shall be kept by the Director—

(a) at such premises within the United Kingdom; and

(b) in such form ;

as he may determine.

(2) The Director shall cause notice of—

(a) any declaration made under section 1(3) above ;

(b) any order made under section 2 above;

to be entered in the register.

(3) Regulations made under section 27 below shall provide for the maintenance of a special section of the register, and for the entry or filing in that section of such particulars as the Secretary of State may direct, being—

(a) particulars containing information the publication of which would in the Secretary of State's opinion be contrary to the public interest;

(b) particulars containing information as to any secret process of manufacture (or, in relation to Part III of this Act, any secret process) or as to the presence, absence or situation of any mineral or other deposits or as to any other similar matter, being information the publication of which in the Secretary of State's opinion would substantially damage the legitimate business interests of any person.

(4) The register, other than the special section, shall be open to public inspection during such hours and subject to payment of such fee as may be prescribed by regulations made under section 27.

(5) Any person may, upon payment of such fee as may be prescribed by regulations made under section 27, require the Director to supply to him a copy of or extract from any particulars entered or filed in the register, other than the special section, certified by the Director to be a true copy or extract.

(6) No process for compelling the production of the register or of any other document kept by the Director shall issue from any court except with the leave of the court, and any such process if issued shall bear a statement that it is issued with the leave of the court.

(7) A copy of or extract from any document entered or filed in the register, certified under the hand of the Director or an officer authorised to act on his behalf (whose official position it shall not be necessary to prove), shall in all legal proceedings be admissible in evidence as of equal validity with the original.