(1) The Minister may, with the consent of such other (if any) Minister of the Government as the Minister considers appropriate having regard to the functions of that other Minister, for the purposes of -

(a) ensuring greater consistency and accuracy of information held and managed by public bodies, and

(b) increasing the usefulness of information held and used by public bodies for the purposes of -

(i) performing their functions,

(ii) modernising and developing public services,

(iii) evaluating the effectiveness of services provided by public bodies, and

(iv) evaluating the effectiveness of expenditure by public bodies,

direct a public body to collect information or classes of information specified in the direction.

(2) A direction under subsection (1) may specify the format in which the information is to be stored following collection.