Section 20 — Attendance of witnesses

This version in force from 2022-01-04

Snapshot: 2026-08-24

Reproduced from legislation.gov.uk (Crown Copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0). Amendments made after 2026-08-24 may not be reflected — always check the official text .

(1) The Secretary of State may give a notice to a person (subject to section 21) to require the person—

(a) to attend at a time and place specified in the notice, and

(b) to give evidence to the Secretary of State in relation to the exercise of the Secretary of State's functions under this Act.

(2) The Secretary of State is not to require the giving of evidence under this section except where the requirement to give evidence is proportionate to the use to which the evidence is to be put in the carrying out of the Secretary of State's functions under this Act.

(3) A notice under subsection (1) is referred to in this Act as an attendance notice.

(4) An attendance notice must—

(a) specify the purpose for which the notice is given, and

(b) state the possible consequences of not complying with the notice.

(5) A person is not required under this section to give any evidence which that person could not be compelled to give in civil proceedings before the court.

(6) A person is not required, in compliance with an attendance notice, to go more than 10 miles from their place of residence unless necessary travelling expenses are paid or offered to that person.

(7) In this section “the court” means—

(a) in relation to evidence given in England and Wales or Northern Ireland, the High Court,

(b) in relation to evidence given in Scotland, the Court of Session, and