The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Disclosure of Confidential Information) Regulations 2001

PART II DISCLOSURE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION GENERALLY

Disclosure by and to the Authority, the Secretary of State and the Treasury etc.

3.—(1) A disclosure of confidential information is permitted when it is made to any person—

(a) by the Authority or an Authority worker for the purpose of enabling or assisting the person making the disclosure to discharge any public functions of the Authority or (if different) of the Authority worker;

(b) by the Secretary of State or a Secretary of State worker for the purpose of enabling or assisting the person making the disclosure to discharge any public functions of the Secretary of State or (if different) of the Secretary of State worker;

(c) by the Treasury for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Treasury to discharge any of their public functions.

(2) A disclosure of confidential information is permitted when it is made by any primary recipient, or person obtaining the information directly or indirectly from a primary recipient, to the Authority, the Secretary of State or the Treasury for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Authority, the Secretary of State or the Treasury (as the case may be) to discharge any of its, his or their public functions.

(3) Paragraphs (1) and (2) do not permit disclosure in contravention of any of the directive restrictions.

Disclosure for the purposes of criminal proceedings and investigations

4.  A primary recipient of confidential information, or a person obtaining such information directly or indirectly from a primary recipient, is permitted to disclose such information to any person—

(a) for the purposes of any criminal investigation whatever which is being or may be carried out, whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere;

(b) for the purposes of any criminal proceedings whatever which have been or may be initiated, whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere; or

(c) for the purpose of initiating or bringing to an end any such investigation or proceedings, or of facilitating a determination of whether it or they should be initiated or brought to an end.

Disclosure for the purposes of certain other proceedings

5.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), a primary recipient of confidential information, or a person obtaining such information directly or indirectly from a primary recipient, is permitted to disclose such information to—

(a) a person mentioned in paragraph (3) for the purpose of initiating proceedings to which this regulation applies, or of facilitating a determination of whether they should be initiated; or

(b) any person for the purposes of proceedings to which this regulation applies and which have been initiated, or for the purpose of bringing to an end such proceedings, or of facilitating a determination of whether they should be brought to an end.

(2) A person mentioned in paragraph (3) (or a person who is employed by the Authority or the Secretary of State) is permitted to disclose confidential information to any person for a purpose mentioned in paragraph (1)(a).

(3) The persons referred to in paragraphs (1)(a) and (2) are—

(a) the Authority;

(b) the Secretary of State; and

(c) the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland.

(4) This regulation does not permit the disclosure of information with a view to the institution of, or in connection with, proceedings of the kind referred to in paragraph (6)(e) to the extent that—

(a) the information relates to an authorised person, former authorised person or former regulated person (“A”);

(b) the information also relates to another person (“B”) who, to the knowledge of the primary recipient (or person obtaining confidential information directly or indirectly from him), is or has been involved in an attempt to rescue A, or A’s business, from insolvency or impending insolvency; and

(c) B is not a director, controller or manager of A.

(5) This regulation does not permit disclosure in contravention of any of the directive restrictions.

(6) The proceedings to which this regulation applies are—

(a) civil proceedings arising under or by virtue of the Act, an enactment referred to in section 338 of the Act, the Banking Act 1979(1), the Friendly Societies Act 1974(2), the Insurance Companies Act 1982(3), the Financial Services Act 1986(4), the Building Societies Act 1986(5), the Banking Act 1987(6), the Friendly Societies Act 1992(7) or the Investment Services Regulations 1995(8);

(b) proceedings before the Tribunal;

(c) any other civil proceedings to which the Authority is, or is proposed to be, a party;

(d) proceedings under section 7 or 8 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986(9) or article 10 or 11 of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1989(10) in respect of a director or former director of an authorised person, former authorised person or former regulated person; or

(e) proceedings under Parts I to VI or IX to X of the Insolvency Act 1986(11), the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985(12) or Parts II to VII or IX or X of the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989(13) in respect of an authorised person, former authorised person or former regulated person.

Disclosure in pursuance of a Community obligation

6.  A primary recipient of confidential information, or a person receiving such information directly or indirectly from a primary recipient, is permitted to disclose such information in pursuance of a Community obligation.

Restrictions on use of confidential information

7.  Where confidential information is disclosed under these Regulations to a person other than the Authority, the Secretary of State, the Treasury or the Bank of England, and the disclosure is made subject to any conditions as to the use to which the information may be put, the person to whom the information has been disclosed may not use the information in breach of any such condition, without the consent of the person who disclosed it to him.

(1)

1979 c. 37.

(2)

1974 c. 46.

(3)

1982 c. 50.

(4)

1986 c. 60.

(5)

1986 c. 53.

(6)

1987 c. 22.

(7)

1992 c. 40.

(8)

S.I. 1995/3275.

(9)

1986 c. 46. Section 7 was amended by the Insolvency Act 2000 (c. 39), Sch. 4, Part I, and s. 6. Section 8 was amended by the Financial Services Act 1986 (c. 60), s. 198; the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987 (s. 41), s. 55(b); the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (c. 33), s. 145(b); the Criminal Procedure (Consequential Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1995 (c. 40), s. 5, Sch. 4, para 62; the Companies Act 1989 (c. 40), s. 79; and the Insolvency Act 2000, s. 6.

(10)

S.I. 1989/2402 (N.I. 18).

(11)

1986 c. 45.

(12)

1985 c. 66.

(13)

S.I. 1989/2405 (N.I. 19).