Section 21 of the Inquiries Act 2005
Section 21 of the Inquiries Act 2005 gives the chair of a statutory inquiry the power to compel people to provide evidence and documents relevant to the inquiry. By written notice, the chair can require a person to attend at a specified time and place to give evidence, produce relevant documents or other things in their possession or control for inspection or examination, or provide written evidence and documents within a specified reasonable period. The notice must explain the consequences of non-compliance and allow the recipient to claim that they cannot comply or that compliance would be unreasonable; the chair must consider the public interest and the likely importance of the information when deciding whether to vary or revoke such a notice.
