National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978

Section 76.

SCHEDULE 12 Inquiries

1 The Secretary of State shall appoint a person to hold the inquiry and to report thereon to him.

2 The Secretary of State or the person appointed to hold the inquiry shall send to any person who appears to them to be interested, notification of the time when and the place where the inquiry is to be held.

3 The person appointed to hold the inquiry may by notice require any person—

(a) to attend at the time and place set forth in the notice, to give evidence or to produce any books or documents in his custody or under his control which relate to any matter in question at the inquiry ; or

(b) to furnish within such reasonable period as is specified in the notice such information relating to any matter in question at the inquiry as the person appointed to hold the inquiry may think fit, and as the person so required is able to furnish ; but—

(i) no person shall be required in obedience to such a notice to attend at any place which is more than 10 miles from the place where he resides unless the necessary expenses are paid or tendered to him ; and

(ii) nothing in this paragraph shall empower the person appointed to hold the inquiry to require any person to produce any book or document or to answer any question which he would be entitled, on the ground of privilege or confidentiality, to refuse to produce or to answer if the inquiry were a proceeding in a court of law.

4 The person appointed to hold the inquiry may administer oaths and examine witnesses on oath, and may accept in lieu of evidence on oath by any person a statement in writing by that person.

5 Any person who refuses or wilfully neglects to attend in obedience to a notice under paragraph 3, or to give evidence, or who wilfully alters, suppresses, conceals, destroys or refuses to produce any book or document which he may be required by any such notice to produce, or who refuses or wilfully neglects to furnish any information which he is required to furnish under sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph 3, shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £20 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding 3 months.

6 The expenses incurred by the Secretary of State in relation to any inquiry held under this Act (including a reasonable sum for the services of any officer engaged in the inquiry) shall be paid by such of the parties to the inquiry in such proportions as the Secretary of State may order.

7 The Secretary of State may make orders as to the expenses incurred by the parties appearing at any such inquiry and as to the parties by whom such expenses shall be paid.

8 Any order by the Secretary of State under paragraph 6 or paragraph 7 may be enforced in like manner as a recorded decree arbitral.