Companies Act 1985

245G Restrictions on further disclosure of information obtained under section 245F E+W+S

(1) This section applies to information (in whatever form) which—

(a) has been obtained in pursuance of a requirement or order under section 245F, and

(b) relates to the private affairs of an individual or to any particular business.

(2) No such information may, during the lifetime of that individual or so long as that business continues to be carried on, be disclosed without the consent of that individual or the person for the time being carrying on that business.

(3) Subsection (2) does not apply to any disclosure of information which—

(a) is made for the purpose of facilitating the carrying out by a person authorised under section 245C of his functions under section 245B;

(b) is made to a person specified in Part 1 of Schedule 7B;

(c) is of a description specified in Part 2 of that Schedule; or

(d) is made in accordance with Part 3 of that Schedule.

(4) The Secretary of State may by order amend Schedule 7B.

(5) An order under subsection (4) must not—

(a) amend Part 1 of Schedule 7B by specifying a person unless the person exercises functions of a public nature (whether or not he exercises any other function);

(b) amend Part 2 of Schedule 7B by adding or modifying a description of disclosure unless the purpose for which the disclosure is permitted is likely to facilitate the exercise of a function of a public nature;

(c) amend Part 3 of Schedule 7B so as to have the effect of permitting disclosures to be made to a body other than one that exercises functions of a public nature in a country or territory outside the United Kingdom.

(6) An order under subsection (4) shall be made by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(7) A person who discloses any information in contravention of this section—

(a) is guilty of an offence, and

(b) is liable on conviction to imprisonment or a fine, or both.

(8) However, it is a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (7) to prove—

(a) that he did not know, and had no reason to suspect, that the information had been disclosed under section 245F; or

(b) that he took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of the offence.

(9) Sections 732 (restriction on prosecutions), 733 (liability of individuals for corporate default) and 734 (criminal proceedings against unincorporated bodies) apply to offences under this section.

(10) This section does not prohibit the disclosure of information if the information is or has been available to the public from any other source.

(11) Nothing in this section authorises the making of a disclosure in contravention of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 245G applied (with modifications) (6.4.2005) by Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004 (c. 27), ss. 15, 65; S.I. 2004/3322, art. 2(2), Sch. 2 (subject to arts. 3-13)