17. (1) The Authority, where section 8(4) or 10(6) applies, or on receipt by it of the contact details of a relevant person under section 7(4)(a) or 9(7)(a), shall arrange for—

(a) the making of contact with the relevant person concerned, and

(b) the holding with him or her of a session in accordance with subsection (2) (in this Act referred to as an “information session”).

(2) For the purposes of this Act, an information session is a session held between the relevant person and a designated person, at which the designated person informs the relevant person of—

(a) the entitlement of the relevant person to obtain, in accordance with this Act, his or her birth certificate, or birth information relating to him or her, as the case may be, and

(b) the fact that—

(i) the parent concerned has exercised his or her entitlement under section 38(11) to state that he or she is not willing to be contacted by the relevant person, and

(ii) the making of that statement by the parent constitutes an exercise by him or her of his or her right to privacy.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2), the participants in an information session need not be in the one place, provided that each participant is able, directly or by means of electronic communications technology, to speak to, and to be heard by, the other participants.

(4) On completion of an information session, the designated person concerned shall confirm this fact in writing and provide a notification of the fact to—

(a) where applicable, the recipient body or relevant body concerned, for the purposes of section 7(4)(b) or 9(7)(b), as the case may be, and

(b) the Authority, for the purposes of—

(i) where applicable, section 8(4) or 10(6), as the case may be, and

(ii) compliance by the Authority with subsection (5).

(5) The Authority, on receipt of a notification under subsection (4)(b), shall, for the purposes of section 38(7)(i), record in the entry in the register in respect of the parent and relevant person concerned, the fact that the information session has taken place.