has been obtained by virtue of any of the provisions of this Act; and

relates to the affairs of any individual or to any particular business,

for the purpose of facilitating the carrying out by the Secretary of State, the Minister, F1the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, F30the Natural Resources Body for Wales,F24the Water Services Regulation Authority, the Consumer Council for Water , the F37Competition and Markets Authority or a local authority of any of his, its or, as the case may be, their functions by virtue of this Act F2or any of the water consolidation ActsF17, the Environment Act 1995 F31, the Water Act 2003 F48, the Water Act 2014 or the Natural Resources Body for Wales (Establishment) Order 2012 (S.I.2012/1903) ;

for the purpose of facilitating the performance by a water undertaker F22, sewerage undertaker or F43person holding a licence under Chapter 1A of Part 2 of the Water Industry Act 1991 of any of the duties imposed F44on the undertaker or, as the case may be, the person by or under this Act F50, the Water Act 2014F2or any of the water consolidation Acts;

in pursuance of any duty imposed by section 197(1)(a) or (2) or F23203(1), (1A), (2) or (2A) of the Water Resources Act 1991 F21or section 27H of the Water Industry Act 1991 ;

for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Secretary of State, the Treasury F33, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Prudential Regulation Authority or the Bank of England to exercise any powers conferred by or under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 F35, by or under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 or by the enactments relating to companies or insolvency;

for the purpose of enabling or assisting any inspector appointed under enactments relating to companies to carry out his functions;

for the purpose of enabling an official receiver to carry out his functions under the enactments relating to insolvency or for the purpose of enabling or assisting a recognised professional body for the purposes of section 391 of the M1Insolvency Act 1986 to carry out its functions as such;

for the purpose of facilitating the carrying out by F26... the Health and Safety Executive of any of its functions under any enactment or of facilitating the carrying out by any enforcing authority, within the meaning of Part I of the M2Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, of any functions under a relevant statutory provision, within the meaning of that Act;

for the purpose of facilitating the carrying out by the Office for Nuclear Regulation of any of its functions under any enactment;

for the purpose of facilitating the carrying out by the Comptroller and Auditor General of any of his functions under any enactment;

in connection with the investigation of any criminal offence or for the purposes of any criminal proceedings;

for the purposes of any civil proceedings brought under or by virtue of this Act F5, any of the water consolidation ActsF6, the Environment Act 1995F18, the Water Act 2003F49, the Water Act 2014 or any of the enactments or instruments specified in subsection (3) below or of any arbitration under this Act F7or any of those Acts; or

in pursuance of F53F54an assimilated obligation.

the M3Trade Descriptions Act 1968;

the M4Fair Trading Act 1973;

the M5Consumer Credit Act 1974;

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

the M6Estate Agents Act 1979;

the M7Competition Act 1980;

the M8Telecommunications Act 1984;

the M9Airports Act 1986;

the M10Gas Act 1986;

the M11Consumer Protection Act 1987;

the Electricity Act 1989;

the Competition Act 1998

Part I of the Transport Act 2000.

the Enterprise Act 2002;

the Communications Act 2003;

any subordinate legislation made for the purpose of securing compliance with Directive 2005/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 concerning unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices in the internal market;

any subordinate legislation made for the purpose of securing compliance with Directive 2006/114/ F29European Union of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 concerning misleading and comparative advertising.

Part 1 of the Civil Aviation Act 2012

Parts 3 and 4 of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013.

as limiting the matters which may be published under F11section 201 of the Water Industry Act 1991 or may be included in, or made public as part of, a report of F12the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, F32the Natural Resources Body for WalesF25the Water Services Regulation Authority , F20the Consumer Council for Water (or any regional committee of that Council established under section 27A of the Water Industry Act 1991) or the F41Competition and Markets Authority under any provision of F11the water consolidation ActsF13or the Environment Act 1995; or

as applying to any information which has been so published or has been made public as part of such a report or to any information exclusively of a statistical nature.

on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum;

on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine or to both.

if the disclosure is of information relating to a matter connected with the carrying out of the functions of a water undertaker or sewerage undertaker F19, or with the carrying on by a F45person holding a licence under Chapter 1A of Part 2 of the Water Industry Act 1991 of activities under F46the person's licence , and is made by one Minister of the Crown or Government department to another; or

if the disclosure is for the purpose of enabling or assisting any public or other authority for the time being designated for the purposes of this section by an order made by the Secretary of State to discharge any functions which are specified in the order.

impose conditions subject to which the disclosure of information is permitted by virtue of that paragraph; and

otherwise restrict the circumstances in which disclosure is so permitted.

on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum;

on conviction on indictment, to a fine.