Commentary on Sections Part 1 – Assignation Searches and extracts Section 33 – Searching the assignations record
159.The RoA is a public register (see section 19(1) of the Act). Subsection (1) of this section provides that the Keeper must provide a search facility by which the assignations record may be searched.
160.Subsection (2) sets out that only such searches in the assignations record as are specified in this subsection, or as are specified under RoA Rules, are permitted. This restriction on searches has two effects:
	First, it reduces the risk of identity theft by ensuring that it will not be possible to search against date of birth, or against the month and year of birth alone. The Scottish Ministers will also be able (through RoA Rules) to prevent dates of birth from being disclosed on the face of the Register, or to limit the number of searches by reference to the same name and different months and years of birth that can be made in a particular time period.
	Second, it reduces the risk of unfair commercial practices by not permitting a search against the assignee (typically, a bank or finance company) which might enable a competitor to obtain a list of customers.
161.Subsection (3) provides that any person may search the assignations record on payment of any fee (or making an arrangement to pay).
162.Subsection (4) provides that no fee is payable for a search of the assignations record carried out by a not-for-profit money adviser who does not charge individuals for the services that they provide and who is acting on behalf of an individual in carrying out the search. Under subsection (5), the Scottish Ministers are given the power by regulations (subject to the negative procedure) to make further provision about what “not-for-profit money adviser” means for these purposes.
163.The Act does not make provision for the Keeper to provide a search mechanism for the archive record, nor for a person to be entitled to use that mechanism. The Scottish Ministers may, however, make provision to that effect in RoA Rules made under section 39(1)(c) of the Act. It is also open to any person to obtain from the Keeper an extract of an entry in either the assignations record or archive record under section 35 of the Act.
164.Section 27 of the Act has the effect that it must be possible to carry out searches for the purposes of the “seriously misleading” test. It will therefore be for the Scottish Ministers to make such RoA Rules as are needed under this section for those purposes. RoA Rules will, amongst other matters, be able to determine whether the search criteria will provide for an exact match or a close match search.