(1)Subject to the following provisions of this section, no information with respect to any particular business which has been obtained under or by virtue of the provisions of this Act shall, so long as the business continues to be carried on, be disclosed without the consent of the person for the time being carrying it on.
(2)Subsection (1) does not apply to any disclosure of information which is made—
(a)for the purpose of facilitating the performance of any functions under this Act or any of the enactments [F1or subordinate legislation] specified in subsection (3) of any Minister, any Northern Ireland department, the head of any such department, the CAA, the Commission, [F2the Office of Fair Trading] [F3Director General of Water Services][F4the Director General of Electricity Supply][F5the Director General of Electricity Supply for Northern Ireland][F6or the Director General of Gas for Northern Ireland][F7the Rail Regulator] or a local weights and measures authority in Great Britain;
(b)in connection with the investigation of any criminal offence or for the purposes of any criminal proceedings;
(c)for the purposes of any civil proceedings brought under or by virtue of this Act or any of the enactments [F1or subordinate legislation] specified in subsection (3);
(d)in pursuance of any Community obligation.
(3)The enactments [F8and subordinate legislation] referred to in subsection (2) are—
(a)the M1Trade Descriptions Act 1968;
(b)the M2Fair Trading Act 1973;
(c)the M3Consumer Credit Act 1974;
F9(d). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
F9(e). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(f)the M4Estate Agents Act 1979;
(g)the M5Competition Act 1980; . . . F10
(h)the 1982 Act and any Order in Council made under section 60 of that Act (Air Navigation Orders).
[F11(i)the M6Consumer Protection Act 1987.]
[F12(j)the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988.]
[F13(k)the M7Water Act 1989 [F14the Water Industry Act 1991 or any of the other consolidation Acts (within the meaning of section 206 of that Act of 1991)].]
[F15(l)the M8Electricity Act 1989.]
[F16(ll)Part IV of the Airports (Northern Ireland) Order 1994;]
[F17(m)the Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order 1992]
[F18(mm)the Gas (Northern Ireland) Order 1996;]
[F19(n)the Railways Act 1993]
[F20(o)[F21the EC Competition Law (Articles 84 and 85) Enforcement Regulations 2001].]
[F22(p)the Competition Act 1998.]
[F23(q)Part I of the Transport Act 2000.]
[F24(r)the Enterprise Act 2002]
(4)Nothing in subsection (1) shall be construed—
(a)as limiting the matters which may be included in, or made public as part of, a report of the Commission under section 45; or
(b)as applying to any information which has been made public as part of such a report.
(5)Any person who discloses any information in contravention of this section shall be guilty of an offence and liable—
(a)on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum;
(b)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine, or to both.
(6)In this section “the Commission” means the [F25Competition] Commission.
Textual Amendments
F1Words inserted by S.I. 1988/915, reg. 7(6)(g)(i)
F2Words in s. 74(2) substituted (1.4.2003) by Enterprise Act 2002 (c. 40), s. 279, Sch. 25 para. 14(6)(a); S.I. 2003/766, art. 2, Sch. (with art. 3) (as amended (20.7.2007) by S.I. 2007/1846, reg. 3(2), Sch.)
F3Words inserted (E.W.) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), 190(1), Sch. 25 para. 76(a) (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58)
F4Words inserted (E.W.S.) by Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 112(1), Sch. 16 para. 33
F5Words in s. 74(2)(a) inserted (1.4.1992) by S.I. 1992/231 (N.I. 1), art. 95(1), Sch. 12 para. 30(a); S.R. 1992/117, art. 3(1).
F6Words in s. 74(2)(a) inserted (10.6.1996) by S.I. 1996/275 (N.I. 2) art. 71(1), Sch. 6 (with Sch. 7 paras. 2, 3(2)); S.R. 1996/216, art. 2
F7Words in s. 74(2)(a) inserted (6.1.1994) by 1993 c. 43, ss. 150(1)(o), 152(1), Sch. 12 para. 23(1); S.I. 1993/3237, art. 2(2).
F8Words inserted by S.I. 1988/915, reg. 7(6)(g)(ii)
F9S. 74(3)(d)(e) repealed (1.3.2000) by S.I. 2000/311, art. 17(2)
F10Word repealed by Consumer Protection Act 1987 (c. 43, SIF 109:1), s. 48, Sch. 5
F11Para. inserted by Consumer Protection Act 1987 (c. 43, SIF 109:1), s. 48, Sch. 4 para. 10
F12Para. inserted by S.I. 1988/915, reg. 7(6)(g)(ii)
F13Para. inserted (E.W.) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 190(1), Sch. 25 para. 76(b) (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1) Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58)
F14Words in s. 74(3)(k) inserted (E.W.) (01.12.1991) by Water Consolidation (Consequential Provisions) Act 1991 (c. 60, SIF 132), ss. 2(1), 4(2), Sch. 1 para. 44
F15Para. inserted (E.W.S.) by Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 112, Sch. 16 para. 33
F16S. 74(3)(ll) inserted (1.9.1995) by S.I. 1996/426 (N.I. 1), art. 71(2), Sch. 9 para. 10 (with art. 2(3), 16); S.R. 1995/294, art. 2, Sch.
F17S. 74(3)(m) inserted (1.4.1992) by S.I. 1992/231 (N.I. 1), art. 95(1), Sch. 12 para. 30(b); S.R. 1992/117, art. 3(1).
F18S. 74(3)(mm) inserted (10.6.1996) by S.I. 1996/275 (N.I. 2) art. 71(1), Sch. 6 (with Sch. 7 paras. 2, 3(2)); S.R. 1996/216, art. 2
F19S. 74(3)(n) added (6.1.1994) by 1993 c. 43, ss. 150(1)(o), 152(1), Sch. 12 para. 23(2); S. I. 1993/3237, art. 2(2).
F20S. 74(3)(o) inserted (28.8.1996) by S.I. 1996/2199, regs. 1(1), 29(4)
F21Words in s. 74(3)(o) substituted (17.8.2001) by S.I. 2001/2916, reg. 35(3) (with reg. 36)
F22S. 74(3)(p) inserted (1.4.1999) by S.I. 1999/506, art. 19(b)
F23S. 74(3)(q) inserted (21.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/4050, art. 2, Sch. Pt. IV para. 18
F24S. 74(3)(r) inserted (1.4.2003) by Enterprise Act 2002 (c. 40), s. 279, Sch. 25 para. 14(6)(b); S.I. 2003/766, art. 2, Sch. (with art. 3) (as amended (20.7.2007) by S.I. 2007/1846, reg. 3(2), Sch.)
F25Word in s. 74(6) substituted (1.4.1999) by S.I. 1999/506, art. 19(c)
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 74 restricted (31.10.2003) by Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 (c. 20), s. 115; S.I. 2003/2681, art. 2(b)
C2S. 74(2): Disclosure powers extended (14.12.2001) by 2001 c. 24, ss. 17, 127(2), Sch. 4 para. 25
Marginal Citations