Building Safety Act 2022

Power to require information, documents etc

4 (1) An authorised officer may for a relevant purpose require a person to give specified information or documents to the officer by such time as may be specified.

(2) In the case of a document consisting of information held in electronic form, the officer may require it to be produced—

(a) in a legible form, or

(b) in a form from which it can readily be produced in legible form.

(3) The officer may inspect and take copies of (or of any information in) any document that is produced.

(4) An authorised officer may for a relevant purpose require a person to provide such facilities and assistance to the officer as may be specified, by such time as may be specified.

(5) A requirement under this paragraph is imposed by the authorised officer in question giving, to the person in question, a notice in writing that states—

(a) that it is a notice containing a requirement under this paragraph, and

(b) the consequences of failing to comply with the requirement.

(6) Information provided by a person under sub-paragraph (1) is not admissible in evidence against that person in criminal proceedings except—

(a) in proceedings for an offence under section 24,

(b) in proceedings for an offence under paragraph 6(1),

(c) in proceedings for an offence of perverting the course of justice, or

(d) if in the proceedings—

(i) in giving evidence the person makes a statement inconsistent with the information, and

(ii) evidence as to the information that was provided is adduced, or a question relating to it is asked, by or on behalf of the person.

(7) In this paragraph—

• “document” includes information recorded in any form;

• “specified”, in relation to a requirement, means specified in the notice imposing the requirement.