PART 2Provision consequential on devolution to the Northern Ireland Assembly of legislative power in relation to policing and justice matters

Transfers of property etc

22.—(1) The Secretary of State must give directions, as the Secretary of State considers appropriate in consequence of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Amendment of Schedule 3) Order 2010 (taking into account the provisions of this Order and the Northern Ireland Court Service (Abolition and Transfer of Functions) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010), setting out arrangements under which the Department of Justice may use, or otherwise have access to, existing Northern Ireland Office records.

(2) Paragraph (3) applies if—

(a)property or liabilities in a computer system are transferred to the Department of Justice by article 18, and

(b)on the coming into force of this Order, existing Northern Ireland Office records are held on that system.

(3) The Department of Justice is to hold the records on that system on behalf of the Northern Ireland Office, so far as required by, and in accordance with, arrangements directed by the Secretary of State.

(4) Arrangements directed under this article may (in particular) provide—

(a)for records to be excluded from the arrangements;

(b)for access to records to be prohibited or restricted;

(c)for conditions to be imposed in relation to the use or accessing of records;

(d)for records to be handed back to the Northern Ireland Office.

(5) In this article “existing Northern Ireland Office records” means any records which, immediately before the coming into force of this Order, are held by the Northern Ireland Office.