Section 52 | Records.

(1)A statement to which this section applies is admissible in any proceedings as evidence (or, in Scotland, sufficient evidence) of any fact stated in it with respect to matters prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State to the same extent as oral evidence of that fact is admissible in the proceedings.

(2)This section applies to a statement contained in a document purporting to be—

(a)a part of the records maintained by the Secretary of State in connection with any functions exercisable by him under or by virtue of this Act,

(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 to do so by the Secretary of State.

(3)In this section as it has effect in England and Wales—^F1

“document” means anything in which information of any description is recorded;

“copy”, in relation to a document, means anything onto which information recorded in the document has been copied, by whatever means and whether directly or indirectly; and

“statement” means any representation of fact, however made.

(4)In this section as it has effect in Scotland, “document” and “statement” have the same meanings as in section 17(3) of the 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.^F1

(5)Repealed^F1F2

(6)Nothing in subsection (4) . . .limits to civil proceedings the references to proceedings in subsection (1).^F1F3