Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2021)

7.   Power to obtain information

1.  

   (1)   It is lawful for the Statistician or any person acting on his or her behalf to require any person—

   1.  

      (a)     to furnish, in such form and manner and within such time as may be specified by any notice in writing, such periodical or other information, estimates or returns, concerning such of the matters set out in Schedule 1 as may be so specified; and

   1.  

      (b)     to supply him or her with particulars either by interviewing such person personally or by leaving at the last known address or by posting under registered cover to the last known address of such person a form having thereon a notice requiring such form to be completed and returned in the manner and within the time specified in the notice.

1.  

   The notice shall state that it is served in exercise of the powers conferred by this subsection.

1.  

   (2)   Any person having the custody or charge of any public record or documents or of the records or documents of any local authority, corporation, person, partnership, firm, company, society or association from which, in the opinion of the Statistician, information in respect of the matter in relation to which the collection of statistics is required can be obtained or which would aid in the completion or correction of such statistics, shall, despite the provisions of any other law enjoining secrecy, grant to the Statistician or any officer acting on his or her behalf, access to such records or documents for the purpose of obtaining therefrom such information.

1.  

   (3)   The Statistician may, by advertisement in the Gazette and in such newspapers as may appear to him or her to be sufficient for notifying the person concerned, publish a list of any classes or descriptions of businesses or callings in relation to which particulars or information will be required for the purpose of any statistical enquiry under this Act and upon such publication it shall be the duty of every person carrying on a business or calling of any such class or description as aforesaid, who has not received a notice under subsection (1) to inform the Statistician or any person specified in the advertisement within such period, being not less than 28 days after the date of publication if he or she is carrying on such a business or calling as specified, and to give the Statistician such particulars or information of the business or calling as may be so specified.