The Voter Identification Regulations 2022

Supply of the record to police forces and other organisations

23.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a registration officer must upon request supply a copy of the record to—

(a) any police force in Great Britain,

(b) the Police Service of Northern Ireland or the Police Service of Northern Ireland (Reserve),

(c) any body of constables established under an Act, or

(d) the National Crime Agency.

(2) The registration officer must not supply a copy of the record in accordance with paragraph (1) where that record contains the whole or part of an issued document record entry relating to an anonymous elector’s document unless the request is made in writing by—

(a) in the case of forces and organisations mentioned in paragraph (1)(a) to (c), an officer of a rank senior to that of superintendent;

(b) in the case of the National Crime Agency, the Director General of that Agency.

(3) A constable, officer or employee of any of the forces or organisations mentioned in paragraph (1) must not—

(a) supply to any person a copy of the record,

(b) disclose any information contained in it, or

(c) make use of any such information,

otherwise than for the purposes of the prevention and detection of crime and the enforcement of the criminal law (whether in England and Wales or Scotland or elsewhere).

(4) Each person supplied with a copy of the record under this regulation must take proper precautions for its safe custody.

(5) Paragraphs (3) and (4) also apply to a person—

(a) to whom a copy of the record is supplied or information from the record is disclosed in accordance with paragraph (3), and

(b) who is not a constable, officer or employee of any of the forces or organisations mentioned in paragraph (1);

as those paragraphs apply to such a constable, officer or employee.