The Representation of the People (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2008

Requests for information

41.—(1) The registration officer may, from time to time, request such specified information as he may require for the purposes mentioned in paragraph 1(4B) of Schedule 2 to the 1983 Act(1)from—

(a) any specified authority; or

(b) any person providing services to, or authorised to exercise any function of, any such authority.

(2) A request for information shall—

(a) be in writing;

(b) specify the format in which the information shall be provided; and

(c) specify the date by which information shall be provided.

(3) A request for information may—

(a) request the regular disclosure of specified information at intervals not more frequent than monthly; and

(b) relate to a specified individual or a class of individuals of a particular description.

(4) A recipient of a request for information shall—

(a) provide the information requested by the specified date; or

(b) inform the registration officer that the information requested is not held by that authority or person; or

(c) request further time for the location of that information.

(5) Nothing in these Regulations requires the disclosure of information which came into the possession of an authority or person before any previous disclosure made in response to a request made in accordance with this regulation.

(6) Where a request for the same information is made more than once, the recipient of the request may provide the information requested if, in his opinion, the information is reasonably required by the registration officer to replace any information previously disclosed which has been lost, destroyed or impaired during processing by the registration officer.

(7) Nothing in these Regulations shall be taken to require a specified authority or person mentioned in paragraph (1) to disclose information which came into their control before 6th June 2007(2).

(1)

Paragraph 1(4B) of Schedule 2 to the 1983 Act was inserted by section 7 of the Miscellaneous Provisions Act.

(2)

The Representation of the People (Northern Ireland)(Amendment) Regulations 2007 (S.I.2007/1612)(“2007 Regulations”) amended the 2001 Regulations to make provision to enable the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland to request information from specified public authorities. The 2007 Regulations provided that these new powers did not require an authority to provide information which came into their possession before those Regulations came into force on 6th June 2007. These Regulations, which repeal and replace the 2007 Regulations maintain this position.