(1)No information obtained under or by virtue of this Act about any individual shall be disclosed without his consent.
(2)No information obtained under or by virtue of this Act about any business shall be disclosed except, so long as the business continues to be carried on, with the consent of the person for the time being carrying it on.
(3)Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to any disclosure of information made—
(a)for the purpose of facilitating the performance of any functions, under this Act, the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 or Part II or III or section 125 (annual and other reports of Director) of the Fair Trading Act 1973 [F1or the Estate Agents Act 1979][F2or the Competition Act 1980][F3or the Telecommunications Act 1984][F4or the Gas Act 1986][F5or the Airports Act 1986][F6or the Consumer Protection Act 1987][F7or the Water Act 1989][F8 the Water Industry Act 1991 or any of the other consolidation Acts (within the meaning of Section 206 of that Act of 1991)][F9or the Electricity Act 1989][F10or the Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order 1992][F11or the Gas (Northern Ireland) Order 1996][F12or Part IV of the Airports (Northern Ireland) Order 1994][F13or the Consumer Protection (Northern Ireland) Order 1987][F14or the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988][F15or the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990][F16or the Railways Act 1993][F17or the Coal Industry Act 1994]; of the Secretary of State, any other Minister [F3the Director General of Telecommunications,][F4the Director General of Gas Supply,][F5the Civil Aviation Authority], [F18the Director General of Water Services,][F19the Director General of Electricity Supply,][ the Director General of Electricity Supply for Northern Ireland][F11or the Director General of Gas for Northern Ireland][F16the Rail Regulator][F20the Authorised Conveyancing Practitioners Board, the Coal Authority] any enforcement authority or any Northern Ireland department, or
(b)in connection with the investigation of any criminal offence or for the purposes of any criminal proceedings, or
(c)for the purposes of any civil proceedings brought under or by virtue of this Act or under Part III of the M1Fair Trading Act 1973 [F21or under the control of Misleading Advertisments Regulations 1988].
[F22(3A)Subsection (1) and (2) do not apply to any disclosure of information by the Director to the Bank of England for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Bank to discharge its functions under the Banking Act 1987 or the Director to discharge his functions under this Act.]
(4)Nothing in subsections (1) and (2) shall be construed—
(a)as limiting the particulars which may be entered in the register; or
(b)as applying to any information which has been made public as part of the register.
(5)Any person who discloses information in contravention of this section commits an offence.
Textual Amendments
F1Words added by Estate Agents Act 1979 (c. 38, SIF 124:4), s. 10(4)(b)
F2Words added by virtue of Competition Act 1980 (c. 21, SIF 124:1), s. 19(4)(d)
F3Words inserted by Telecommunications Act 1984 (c. 12, SIF 96), s. 109, Sch. 4 para. 60(2), Sch. 5 para. 45
F4Words inserted (E.W.S) by Gas Act 1986 (c. 44, SIF 44:2), s. 67(1), Sch. 7 para. 19
F5Words inserted by Airports Act 1986 (c. 31, SIF 9), s. 83(1), Sch. 4 para. 4
F6Words inserted by Consumer Protection Act 1987 (c. 43, SIF 109:1), s. 48, Sch. 4 para. 4
F7Words inserted (E.W.) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 25 para. 47, Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58
F8Words in s. 174(3)(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. 26
F9Words inserted (E.W.S.) by Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 112(1)(3), Sch. 16 para. 17(1)(2), Sch. 17 paras. 33, 35(1)
F10Words in s. 174(3)(a) inserted (N.I.) (1.4.1992) by S.I. 1992/231 (N.I. 1), art. 95(1), Sch. 12 para. 14(b); S.R. 1992/117, art. 3(1).
F11Words in s. 174(3)(a) inserted (N.I.) (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 No. 216, art. 2
F12Words inserted (N.I.) (1.9.1995) by S.I. 1994/426 (N.I. 1), art. 71(2), Sch. 9 para. 4; SR. 1995 No. 294, art. 2, Sch.
F13Words inserted (N.I.) (1.3.1989) after “Consumer Protection Act 1987 ” by S.I. 1987/2049 (N.I. 20), art. 35(1), Sch. 3 para. 2
F14Words inserted (20.6.1988) after “Consumer Protection Act 1987 ” by S.I. 1988/915, reg. 7(6)(b)(i)
F15Words inserted (prosp.) by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 37), ss. 124(3), 125(3), Sch. 18 para. 6(a)
F16Words in s. 174(3)(a) inserted (6.1.1994) by 1993 c. 43, ss. 150(1)(o), 152(1), Sch. 12 para. 8; S.I. 1993/3237, art. 2(2).
F17Words in s. 174(3) inserted (31.10.1994) by 1994 c. 21, s. 67, Sch. 9 para. 15(a) (with ss. 40(7) and 66); S.I. 1994/2553, art. 2
F18Words inserted (E.W.) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 25 para. 47, Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58
F19Words inserted (E.W.S.) by Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 112(1)(3), Sch. 16 para. 17(1)(2), Sch. 17 paras. 33, 35(1)
F20Words in s. 174(3) substituted (31.10.94) by 1994 c. 21, s. 67, Sch. 9 para. 15(b) (with ss. 40(7), 66); S.I. 1994/2553, art. 2
F21Words inserted by S.I. 1988/915, reg. 7(6)(b)(ii)
F22S. 174(3A) inserted by Banking Act 1987 (c. 22, SIF 10), s. 87(1)
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 174 extended (1.1.1993) by S.I. 1992/3218, reg. 62
s. 174 extended (1.1.1996) by S.I. 1995/3275, art. 39
Marginal Citations