18 Publication of information concerning affairs of agencies

(1) An agency must, within 1 year after the commencement of this section and at subsequent intervals of not more than 1 year, publish an up-to-date statement of the affairs of the agency.

(2) The statement must contain—

(a) a description of the agency's structure and functions; and

(b) a description of the ways in which the agency's functions (including, in particular, its decision-making functions) affect members of the community; and

(c) a description of any arrangements that exist to enable members of the community to participate in the formulation of the agency's policy and the exercise of the agency's functions; and

(d) a description of the various kinds of documents that are usually held by the agency, including—

(i) the kinds of documents that are available for inspection at the agency (whether or not as part of a public register) under an enactment other than this Act, whether or not inspection of any such document is subject to a fee or charge; and

(ii) the kinds of documents that are available for purchase from the agency; and

(iii) the kinds of documents that are available from the agency free of charge; and

(e) a description of the literature available from the agency by way of subscription services or free mailing lists; and

(f) a list of all boards, councils, committees and other bodies constituted by 2 or more persons that—

(i) are a part of, or that have been established for the purpose of advising, the agency; and

(ii) whose meetings are open to the public or the minutes of whose meetings are available for public inspection; and

(g) a description of the arrangements that exist to enable a member of the community to obtain access to the agency's documents and to seek amendment of the agency's documents concerning the person's personal affairs; and

(h) a description of the agency's procedures in relation to the giving of access to the agency's documents and to the amendment of the agency's documents concerning the personal affairs of a member of the community, including—

(i) the designation of officers to whom inquiries should be made; and

(ii) the addresses at which applications under this Act should be lodged; and

(i) particulars of any reading room or other facility provided by the agency for use by applicants or members of the community, and the publications, documents or other information regularly on display in the reading room or other facility.

(3) The statement must be published in a way approved by the Minister.

(4) Nothing in this section requires the publication of exempt matter.