(1)  The Rail Safety Regulator must prepare an annual report in respect of a financial year.

(2)  The annual report prepared under subsection (1) must include –

(a) information on the development of rail safety, including an aggregation of statistics of a prescribed class reported to the Rail Safety Regulator under the rail safety law in respect of that year; and

(b) information on any improvements and important changes in relation to the regulation of rail safety.

(3)  The annual report prepared under subsection (1) may form part of the annual report of the Department prepared under section 36 of the State Service Act 2000 .

(4)  The Rail Safety Regulator is to submit to the Minister the annual report prepared under subsection (1) .

(5)  Except if subsection (3) applies, the Minister is to cause copies of the annual report for a financial year to be laid before each House of Parliament on or before 31 October or another prescribed date.

(6)  A date prescribed for the purposes of subsection (5) is to be a date not later than 4 months after the end of the financial year.

(7)  If the Minister is unable to comply with subsection (5) by reason of the fact that either House of Parliament is not sitting, the Minister, on 31 October or another date prescribed under subsection (5) , as the case may require, is to –

(a) forward a copy of the report referred to in subsection (1) to the Clerk of the Legislative Council and the Clerk of the House of Assembly; and

(b) make the report available to the public –

and, within the next 7 sitting-days of that House, is to cause a copy of the report to be laid before that House.

(8)  If 31 October, or another date prescribed under subsection (5) is a day ( " an excluded day " ) that –

(a) is a Sunday; or

(b) a statutory holiday under the Statutory Holidays Act 2000 ; or

(c) a public holiday throughout the State –

subsection (7) is taken to be complied with if a copy of the report is forwarded to the Clerk of the Legislative Council and the Clerk of the House of Assembly, and is made available to the public, on the next day afterwards, not being an excluded day.