Part 1The Office for Students

Information powers

I163Cooperation and information sharing by the OfS

1

The OfS—

a

may cooperate with any person where it considers it appropriate to do so for the efficient performance of a function of the OfS, and

b

must cooperate with a person in the performance of such a function if required to do so by the Secretary of State.

2

The OfS—

a

may cooperate with a relevant person where it considers it appropriate to do so for the efficient performance of a relevant function of the relevant person, and

b

must cooperate with a relevant person in the performance of such a function if required to do so by the Secretary of State.

3

The OfS may provide information to any person if the disclosure is made for the purposes of the performance of a function of the OfS.

4

The OfS may provide information to a relevant person if the disclosure is made for the purposes of the performance of a relevant function of the relevant person.

5

Provision of information by the OfS which is authorised by this section does not breach—

a

an obligation of confidence owed by the OfS, or

b

any other restriction on the provision of information (however imposed).

6

But nothing in this section authorises the OfS to provide information where doing so contravenes F1the data protection legislation .

7

In this section—

  • F2“the data protection legislation” has the same meaning as in the Data Protection Act 2018 (see section 3 of that Act);

  • “relevant person” means—

    1. a

      the Privy Council, or

    2. b

      a person prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State;

  • “relevant function” means—

    1. a

      in relation to the Privy Council, any of its functions;

    2. b

      in relation to any other relevant person, a function prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State.

8

Regulations under this section prescribing functions of a relevant person may prescribe all of the person's functions.