Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023

222 The national security purpose

(1) Information is within the scope of the national security purpose if—

(a) the information relates to land that is within subsection (2),

(b) the information is within subsection (3), and

(c) it appears to the Secretary of State that requiring the provision of the information under section 219 would be justified in the interests of national security.

(2) Land is within this subsection if it appears to the Secretary of State that a threat to national security arises in connection with the location of the land or anything situated or done on it.

(3) Information is within this subsection if it appears to the Secretary of State that the information would be useful for the purpose of—

(a) identifying persons who—

(i) own relevant interests in the land,

(ii) have relevant rights concerning the land, or

(iii) have the ability, or are in a position that may involve the ability, to control or influence (directly or indirectly) the owner of a relevant interest in the land, or a person with a relevant right concerning the land, in the exercise of that ownership or right, or

(b) understanding the relationship of those persons with the land.

(4) In subsection (3)—

(a) references to ownership include legal and beneficial ownership;

(b) “control or influence” includes control or influence by reason of interests or rights in or under a company, partnership, trust, foundation, or legal structure or arrangement similar to any of those.