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, F27the DirectorF27the Water Services Regulation Authority, the Consumer Council for Water , the F2Competition Commission or a local authority of any of his, its or, as the case may be, their functions by virtue of this Act F3or any of the water consolidation ActsF18, the Environment Act 1995 or the Water Act 2003 ;

for the purpose of facilitating the performance by a water undertaker F23, sewerage undertaker or company holding a licence under Chapter 1A of Part 2 of the Water Industry Act 1991 of any of the duties imposed on it by or under this Act F3or any of the water consolidation Acts;

in pursuance of any duty imposed by section 197(1)(a) or (2) or F24203(1), (1A), (2) or (2A) of the Water Resources Act 1991 F22or section 27H of the Water Industry Act 1991 ;

for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Secretary of State, the Treasury or the Financial Services Authority to exercise any powers conferred by or under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 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 the Health and Safety Commission or 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 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 F6, any of the water consolidation ActsF7, the Environment Act 1995F19, the Water Act 2003 or any of the enactments or instruments specified in subsection (3) below or of any arbitration under this Act F8or any of those Acts; or

in pursuance of a Community 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 the Directive of the Council of the European Communities dated 10th September 1984 (No.84/450/EEC) on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the member States concerning misleading advertising.

as limiting the matters which may be published under F12section 201 of the Water Industry Act 1991 or may be included in, or made public as part of, a report of F13the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Director, F21the Consumer Council for Water (or any regional committee of that Council established under section 27A of the Water Industry Act 1991) or the F2Competition Commission under any provision of F12the water consolidation ActsF14or 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 F20, or with the carrying on by a company holding a licence under Chapter 1A of Part 2 of the Water Industry Act 1991 of activities under its 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.