4.—(1) Subject to paragraph (8), the Scottish Ministers may, for a purpose mentioned in paragraph (2), by notice in writing require a person, other than an applicant for a redress payment under Part 4 of the 2021 Act, to provide the Scottish Ministers on or before a specified date with—
(a)specified information, documents, objects, or other items of evidence,
(b)evidence in the form of a written statement.
(2) The purposes referred to in paragraph (1) are the determination of any matter by—
(a)a panel appointed under section 35 of the 2021 Act to determine an application,
(b)a review panel appointed under section 55 of the 2021 Act to conduct a review,
(c)a reconsideration panel appointed under section 75 of the 2021 Act to reconsider a determination.
(3) A person to whom a notice under paragraph (1) is given may, before the end of the period of 4 weeks beginning with the date on which the notice was received by the person, make a claim to the Scottish Ministers that—
(a)the person is unable to comply with the notice, or
(b)it is not reasonable in all the circumstances to require the person to comply with the notice.
(4) The Scottish Ministers must, as soon as reasonably practicable after receiving a claim made under paragraph (3), provide the claim, and any information accompanying it, to Redress Scotland.
(5) Where a claim is made under paragraph (3), Redress Scotland may confirm, revoke or vary the notice to which the claim relates.
(6) A person who is required by a notice to provide documents must do so in a redacted form if—
(a)the documents contain information about another person which is irrelevant to the determination of the application to which the notice relates, and
(b)the disclosure of that information would breach an obligation of confidence.
(7) A notice does not have effect to the extent that—
(a)complying with the notice would involve the disclosure of information which would contravene the data protection legislation or any other enactment relating to the disclosure of information, or give rise to the commission of an offence, or
(b)the person to whom the notice applies would be entitled to refuse to comply with the notice in or for the purposes of proceedings in a court in England and Wales, Northern Ireland or, as the case may be, Scotland.
(8) A notice under paragraph (1) is of no effect to the extent that an equivalent notice could be served under section 79 of the 2021 Act.
(9) In this article, “person” does not include the Crown.