s 23 Registration in connection with certain occurrences and events .
(1) Without prejudice to any right of any person to claim against any person by virtue of any of sections 7 to 11 of this Act, the appropriate authority may, on the happening of any occurrence or event in respect of which liability may be incurred by virtue of any of those sections, by order make provision for enabling such particulars of any person shown to have been within such area during such period (being the period during which the occurrence or event took place) as may be specified in the order to be registered by or on behalf of that person in such manner as may be so specified, and any such registration in respect of any person shall be sufficient evidence of his presence within that area during that period unless the contrary is proved; and any such order shall be made by statutory instrument and be laid before Parliament after being made. (2) In the foregoing subsection, the expression “ the appropriate authority ” means, in relation to any occurrence or event , the authority hereinafter specified in relation to the person against whom any claim in respect of that occurrence or event falls to be made, that is to say— (a) where that person is the Authority, the Secretary of State ; (b) where that person is the Crown, the Minister in charge of the government department concerned or where any part of the Scottish Administration is concerned the Minister ; (c) where that person is not the Authority or the Crown— (i) the Secretary of State, in relation to England and Wales and Northern Ireland; (ii) the Scottish Ministers, in relation to Scotland.