6(1)Section 31 (remedy for failure to comply with request for access to accounting records) shall be amended as follows.E+W+S
(2)In subsection (1) after “the court” insert “ or to the Certification Officer ”.
(3)In subsection (2) (court to make order if claim well-founded) after “Where” insert “ on an application to it ” and for “that person” substitute “ the applicant ”.
(4)After subsection (2) insert—
“(2A)On an application to him the Certification Officer shall—
(a)make such enquiries as he thinks fit, and
(b)give the applicant and the trade union an opportunity to be heard.
(2B)Where the Certification Officer is satisfied that the claim is well-founded he shall make such order as he considers appropriate for ensuring that the applicant—
(a)is allowed to inspect the records requested,
(b)is allowed to be accompanied by an accountant when making the inspection of those records, and
(c)is allowed to take, or is supplied with, such copies of, or of extracts from, the records as he may require.
(2C)In exercising his functions under this section the Certification Officer shall ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, an application made to him is determined within six months of being made.”
(5)In subsection (3) (court’s power to grant interlocutory relief) after “an application” insert “ to it ”.
(6)After subsection (3) insert—
“(4)Where the Certification Officer requests a person to furnish information to him in connection with enquiries made by him under this section, he shall specify the date by which that information is to be furnished and, unless he considers that it would be inappropriate to do so, shall proceed with his determination of the application notwithstanding that the information has not been furnished to him by the specified date.
(5)An order made by the Certification Officer under this section may be enforced in the same way as an order of the court.
(6)If a person applies to the court under this section in relation to an alleged failure he may not apply to the Certification Officer under this section in relation to that failure.
(7)If a person applies to the Certification Officer under this section in relation to an alleged failure he may not apply to the court under this section in relation to that failure.”