Making register books and records available for purposes of exhibition, research, etc.
16 Making register books and records in parochial custody available for certain purposes.
1
Subject to subsection (2) below, any person having the custody of any register books or records in parochial custody may deposit any of them for a limited period in a diocesan record office or other suitable and safe place approved by the bishop of the diocese in which they are for the purpose of exhibition or research or for the purpose of enabling copies or lists to be made of them or copies of any part thereof.
2
The power conferred by subsection (1) above on a person having the custody of such books or records may be exercised at the request of any other person, but, whether or not any such request is made, the first mentioned person, if not the parochial church council concerned, may exercise that power only with the consent of that council.
3
Where a request for the deposit in accordance with subsection (1) above of any such books or records is made to the person having the custody of them, then—
a
if that person refuses or fails to comply with the request, or
b
where subsection (2) above applies, the parochial church council refuses to consent to the deposit being made,
the bishop of the diocese in which such books or records are, on the application of the person who made the request and after giving the parochial church council concerned and any other person who has the custody of them an opportunity to make representations to him, may order them to be deposited for a period specified in the order in a diocesan record office or other suitable and safe place approved by him for any of the purposes mentioned in subsection (1) above.
4
Before approving a place as a suitable and safe place for the purposes of this section the bishop of a diocese shall consult the chief officer of the diocesan record office or, where the diocese has more than one such office, the chief officer of the appropriate office.