Part 5: Digital Government Chapter 3: Debt owed to the public sector Section 53: Duty to review operation of Chapter
Subsection (1) sets out that three years after Chapter 3 comes into force, the relevant Minister must, as soon as is reasonably practicable, carry out a review of the operation of the Chapter to determine whether it should be amended or repealed. Before carrying out the review the Minister must publish criteria against which that decision will be made. In carrying out the review, the Minister is required to the consult the Information Commissioner, relevant Ministers from the devolved administrations, and other persons as the Minister considers appropriate.
	Under subsection (4), upon completion of the review, the Minister must publish a report setting out the findings, and have a copy of the report laid before Parliament and the relevant bodies in the devolved administrations. The section provides an order-making power for the Minister to amend or repeal the Chapter as a result of the review. Subsection (6) makes clear that the power to amend the Chapter may only be used to improve the effectiveness of the section 48 power, and expressly states that it cannot be used to remove any existing safeguards on use or disclosure of information in sections 49, 50 or 51. Where any such regulations seek to repeal the Chapter or make provision in respect of devolved matters, the Minister must, before making any such regulations, obtain the consent of the relevant devolved administrations. The Minister must seek the consent of HM Treasury before any regulations are made which could affect the disclosure of information by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.