37. (1) The Minister may, with the consent of such other Minister of the Government, if any, in whom functions in relation to the public body are vested, by order designate a database, the copyright in which is owned by a public body, as a base registry.

(2) An order under subsection (1) shall specify—

(a) the name of the base registry,

(b) the public body that shall be the base registry owner in respect of the base registry,

(c) the purpose for which the information in the base registry may be processed by a public body accessing the base registry,

(d) the information to be contained in the base registry, and

(e) the name and associated description of each field in the database.

(3) The Minister may make an order under subsection (1) only if he or she is satisfied that it is necessary to do so for the purposes of—

(a) ensuring the consistency and accuracy of information which is frequently used by public bodies in the performance of their functions,

(b) avoiding the burden that would otherwise be imposed on a person to whom a service is being or is to be delivered by a public body if the information concerned was collected directly from that person, and

(c) avoiding the duplication of databases maintained by public bodies.

(4) The Minister shall, when making an order under subsection (1), have regard to whether the designation of the database concerned as a base registry would—

(a) reduce the duplication of tasks carried out by public bodies,

(b) increase the efficiency of public bodies in carrying out their functions,

(c) improve the quality of services provided by public bodies,

(d) assist a public body in verifying the identity of a person receiving a service being delivered or to be delivered by a public body,

(e) reduce the need for a person to provide the same information to different public bodies,

(f) assist a public body in establishing the entitlement of a person to a service being delivered or to be delivered by a public body,

(g) facilitate the administration, supervision and control of a service, programme or policy being delivered or implemented or to be delivered or implemented, as the case may be, by a public body,

(h) facilitate the improvement or targeting of a service, programme or policy being delivered or implemented or to be delivered or implemented, as the case may be, by a public body,

(i) facilitate the evaluation of a service, programme or policy delivered or implemented or being delivered or implemented, as the case may be, by a public body,

(j) assist in ensuring that information held by one or more public bodies is up to date, or

(k) assist in improving the accuracy of information held by one or more public bodies.