(1)Subject to subsections (2) to (4) of this section, no information with respect to any particular business which has been obtained under or by virtue of the provisions (other than Part II) of this Act. . . . F1 shall, so long as that business continues to be carried on, be disclosed without the consent of the person for the time being carrying on that business.
(2)The preceding subsection does not apply to any disclosure of information which is made—
(a)for the purpose of facilitating the performance of any functions of the Director [F2the Director General of Telecommunications,][F3the Director General of Gas Supply,][F4the Civil Aviation Authority,][F5the Director General of Water Services,][F6the Director General of Electricity Supply,][F7or the Authorised Conveyancing Practioners Board][F8the Director General of Electricity Supply for Northern Ireland][F9or the Director General of Gas for Northern Ireland][F10the Rail Regulator][F11the Authorised Conveyancing Practitioners Board, the Coal Authority], the Commission, the Secretary of State or any other Minister under this Act, F12. . . or [F13the M1 Estate Agents Act 1979, or][F14the M2 Competition Act 1980 [F2or the Telecommunications Act 1984 [F15or Chapter XIV of Part I of the Financial Services Act 1986],][F3or the Gas Act 1986,][F4or the Airports Act 1986,][F5or the Water Act 1989,][F16the Water Industry Act 1991 or any of the other consolidation Acts (within the meaning of section 206 of that Act of 1991)][F6or the Electricity Act 1989,][F17or the Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order 1992][F18or Part IV of the Airports (Northern Ireland) Order 1994][F19or the Broadcasting Act 1990,], or][F20the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988][F21or the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990][or the Gas (Northern Ireland) Order 1996][F10or the Railways Act 1993][F22or the Coal Industry Act 1994][F23or the Competition Act 1998][F24or the EC Competition Law (Articles 88and 89) Enforcement Regulations1996][F25Part I of the Transport Act 2000 or]
(b)in pursuance of a Community obligation within the meaning of the M3European Communities Act 1972.
(3)Subsection (1) of this section does not apply to any disclosure of information which is made for the purposes of any proceedings before the Restrictive Practices Court or of any other legal proceedings, whether civil or criminal, under this Act, F12. . . [F26or the Control of Misleading Advertisement Regulations 1988].
(4)Nothing in subsection (1) of this section shall be construed—
(a)as limiting the matters which may be included in, or made public as part of, a report of the Advisory Committee or of the Commission;
(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F27; or
(c)as applying to any information which has been made public as part of such a report or as part of that register.
(5)Any person who discloses any information in contravention of this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable—
(a)on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £400;
(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 references to this Act shall be construed as including references to any enactment repealed by this Act.
Textual Amendments
F1Words repealed by Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976 (c. 34), Sch. 6
F2Words inserted by Telecommunications Act 1984 (c. 12, SIF 96), s. 109, Sch. 4 para. 57(3), Sch. 5 para. 45
F3Words inserted by Gas Act 1986 (c. 44, SIF 44:2), s. 67(1), Sch. 7 para. 15(3)
F4Words inserted by Airports Act 1986 (c. 31, SIF 9), s. 83(1), Sch. 4 para. 3
F5Words inserted (E.W.) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 190(1), Sch. 25 para. 45(3)
F6Words inserted (E.W.S.) by Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 112(1), Sch. 16 para. 16(4)
F7Words inserted (prosp.) by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 112(1), Sch. 16 para. 16(4)
F8Words in s. 133(2)(a) inserted (1.4.1992) by S.I. 1992/231 (N.I. 1), art. 95(1), Sch. 12 para. 10(a); S.R. 1992/117, art. 3(1)
F9Words in s. 133(2)(a) inserted (N.I.) (10.6.1996) by 1996/275 (N.I. 2), art. 71(1) (with Sch. 7 paras. 2, 3(2)), Sch. 6; SR. 1996/216, art. 2
F10Words in s. 133(2)(a) inserted (6.1.1994) by 1993 c. 43, ss. 150(1)(a), 152(1), Sch. 12 para. 7; S.I. 1993/3237, art. 2(2).
F11Words in s.133(2)(a) substituted for the words “or the Authorised Conveyancing Practitioners Board” (31.10.1994) by 1994 c. 21, s. 67, Sch. 9 para. 14(a); S.I. 1994/2553, art. 2
F12Words in s. 133(2)(a)(3) repealed (1.3.2000) by S.I. 2000/311, art. 9(5)
F13Words added by Estate Agents Act 1979 (c. 38, SIF 124:4), s. 10(4)(a)
F14Words added by Competition Act 1980 (c. 21, SIF 124:1), s. 19(4)(c)
F15Words inserted by Financial Services Act 1986 (c. 60, SIF 69), s. 182, Sch. 13 para. 1
F16Words in s. 133(2)(a) inserted (E.W.) (1.12.1991) by Water Consolidation (Consequential Provisions) Act 1991 (c. 60, SIF 130), ss. 2, 4(2), Sch. 1 para. 24(3)
F17Words in s. 133(2)(a) inserted (1.4.1992) by S.I. 1992/231 (N.I. 1), art. 95(1), Sch. 12 para. 10(b); S.R. 1992/117, art. 3(1)
F18Words in s. 133(2)(a) inserted (N.I.) (1.9.1995) by S.I. 1994/426 (N.I. 1), art. 71(2), Sch. 9 para. 2; S.R. 1995/294, art. 2, Sch.
F19Words inserted by Broadcasting Act 1990 (c. 42, SIF 96), s. 203(1), Sch. 20 para. 20
F20Words inserted by S.I. 1988/915, art. 7(6)(a)(i)
F21Words inserted (prosp.) by Courts and Legal Service Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 37), SS. 124(3), 125(3), Sch. 18 para. 4(b)
F22Words in s. 133(2)(a) inserted (31.10.1994) by 1994 c. 21, s. 67, Sch. 9 para. 14(b) (with s. 40(7)); S.I. 1994/2553, art. 2
F23Words inserted in s. 133(2)(a) (11.1.1999) by 1998 c. 41, s. 74(1), Sch. 12 para. 1(14) (with s. 73); S.I. 1999/3166, art. 2, Sch.
F24Words inserted in s. 133(2)(a) (28.8.1996) by S.I. 1996/2199, reg. 29(1)
F25Words in s. 133(2)(a) inserted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 97, Sch. 8 Pt. IV para. 11 (with s. 106); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3, Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to transitional provision and saving in Sch. 2 Pt. II)
F26Words inserted by S.I. 1988/915, art. 7(6)(a)(ii)
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 133 amended (E.W.S.) (1.3.1996) by 1986 c. 44, s. 36A(2) (as inserted (1.3.1996) by 1995 c. 45, s. 10(1), Sch. 3 para. 43; S.I. 1996/218, art. 2)
s. 133 amended (10.6.1996) by S.I. 1996/275, art. 23(2) (with Sch. 7 paras. 2, 3(2)); S.R. 1996/216, art. 2
C2"That register" means register under Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976 (c. 34)
S. 133 modified by Telecommunications Act 1984 (c. 12, SIF 96), s. 50(2)
S. 133 modified (E.W.) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 28(2)
S. 133 modified (E.W.S.) by Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 43(2)
S. 133 extended by S.I. 1990/1715, reg. 4
S. 133(1) excluded by Broadcasting Act 1990 (c. 42, SIF 96), s. 197(5)(a)
S. 133 amended (E.W.) (1.12.1991) by Water Industry Act 1991 (c. 56, SIF 130), ss. 31(4)(b), 35(4), 223(2) (with ss. 82(3), 186(1), 188, 222(1), Sch. 14 para. 6)
S. 133 modified (1.4.1992) by S.I. 1992/231 (N.I. 1), art. 46(2); S.R. 1992/117, art. 3(1)
S. 133 amended (E.W.S.) (1.4.1994) by 1993 c. 43, s. 67(2)(4); S.I. 1994/571, art. 5
C3S. 133(4) amended (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 86(4)(a)(5) (with s. 106); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3, Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to transitional provision and saving in Sch. 2 Pt. II)
Marginal Citations
M11979 c. 38(124:4).
M21980 c. 21(124:1).