The Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006

Restrictions on disclosure of information by the Council

57.—(1) This Article applies to the functions of the Council—

(a) in preparing so much of its annual report under paragraph 12 of Schedule 1 to the 1984 Order as relates to its functions under this Chapter;

(b) in exercising its functions under Article 49 or 50;

(c) in publishing anything under Article 51;

(d) in publishing a notice under Article 52(5) or 54(6); and

(e) in sending or publishing a report under Article 56(3).

(2) Subject to paragraph (7), information which relates to the affairs of any particular individual or body of persons (corporate or unincorporate) shall not be disclosed in the exercise of a function to which this Article relates unless one or more of sub-paragraphs (a) to (c) of paragraph (3) applies to the information.

(3) Information relating to a particular individual or body may be disclosed if—

(a) the individual or body has consented to the disclosure;

(b) it is information that is available to the public from some other source; or

(c) it is not information the disclosure of which would or might, in the opinion of the Council, seriously and prejudicially affect the interests of the individual or body.

(4) Before deciding to disclose any information relating to a particular individual or body in pursuance of paragraph (3)(c) above, the Council shall—

(a) consult that individual or body; and

(b) have regard to any opinion expressed by the Authority as to the application of paragraph (3)(c) to the information or as to the desirability or otherwise of its disclosure;

and sub-paragraph (b) applies whether the opinion is given in relation to the information itself or to information of a description which applies to that information.

(5) Subject to paragraph (7), the Council shall not in the exercise of any function to which this Article applies disclose any information which it considers relates to any matter which is, or is likely to be, the subject of criminal proceedings.

(6) In considering whether information relates to any matter as mentioned in paragraph (5), the Council shall have regard to any opinion expressed (whether in relation to the information itself or to information of a description which applies to that information) by the Department or the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland.

(7) Where this Article applies by virtue of paragraph (1)(b), paragraphs (2) to (5) do not apply to a disclosure of information which is made to the Authority, the Department, the Competition Commission or any other public authority.

(8) The disclosure by the Council of information in the exercise of a function to which this Article applies does not contravene Article 265 (restriction on disclosure of information).

(9) In this Article “disclosure” includes publication.