Section 10 Inquiries
56.Subsection (1) enables the Secretary of State to act on any concerns over the Commission’s exercise of its functions, by setting up an inquiry. Subsection (2) allows the Secretary of State to set up an inquiry into any matter connected with a regulated service. For example, if a consultant surgeon working in a private hospital was found to have unusually high death rates among his patients, the Secretary of State could set up an inquiry to investigate. Subsections (3) and (4) enable an inquiry to be held in private. This might be necessary to protect, for example, a victim of child abuse.
57.Subsection (5) provides for section 250 (2) to (5) of the Local Government Act 1972 to apply in relation to an inquiry. This will enable the person holding the inquiry to issue a summons requiring an individual to give evidence or produce any documents in their custody or under their control at a stated time and place. If that person fails to attend (for reasons other than not having the necessary expenses of their visit paid or tendered), they are liable to a fine or imprisonment.
58.Subsection (6) provides for the Assembly to have similar powers to those referred to in paragraph 56 above.
59.Subsection (7) requires that reports of inquiries set up under the powers in this section should be published unless the appropriate Minister considers that there are exceptional circumstances that make publication inappropriate. Grounds for not publishing may include, for example, publication being prejudicial to ongoing criminal investigations or proceedings.