26.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), an approved adoption society may transfer a copy of a case record (or part thereof) to another adoption agency when it considers this to be in the interests of a child or prospective adopter to whom the record relates, and a written record shall be kept of any such transfer.
(2) An approved adoption society which intends to cease to act or exist as such shall forthwith either transfer its case records to another adoption agency having first obtained the Secretary of State’s approval for such transfer, or transfer its case records–
(a)to the local authority in whose area the society’s head office is situated; or
(b)in the case of an approved adoption society which amalgamates with another approved adoption society to form a new approved adoption society, to the new society.
(3) An adoption agency to which case records are transferred by virtue of paragraph 2(a) or (b) shall notify the Secretary of State in writing of such transfer.