(1)A statement contained in a document purporting to be—
(a)a part of the records maintained by the Secretary of State for the purposes of this Act; or
(b)a copy of a document forming part of those records ; or
(c)a note of any information contained in those records,
and to be authenticated by a person authorised in that behalf by the Secretary of State shall be admissible in any proceedings as evidence or, in Scotland, sufficient evidence, of any fact stated therein to the same extent as oral evidence of that fact is admissible in those proceedings.
(2)In subsection (1) above, " document" and " statement" have—
(a)in England and Wales, the same meanings as in section 10(1) of the [1968 c. 64.] Civil Evidence Act 1968, and the reference to a copy of a document shall be construed in accordance with section 10(2) of that Act;
(b)in Scotland, the same meanings as in section 17(3) of the [1968 c. 70.] Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1968, and the reference to a copy of a document shall be construed in accordance with section 17(4) of that Act;
(c)in Northern Ireland, the same meanings as in section 6(1) of the [1971 c. 36 (N.I.).] Civil Evidence Act (Northern Ireland) 1971, and the reference to a copy of the document shall be construed in accordance with section 6(2) of that Act;
but nothing in this subsection shall be construed as limiting to civil proceedings the reference to proceedings in subsection (1) above.
(3)Nothing in the foregoing provisions of this section shall enable evidence to be given with respect to any matter other than a matter of the prescribed description.