Friendly Societies Act 1992

F163 Confidentiality of certain information.U.K.

(1)Subject to section 64 below, no restricted information which relates to the business or other affairs of a friendly society, a registered branch of a friendly society or any other person shall be disclosed (otherwise than to an officer or employee of the primary recipient) by—

(a)the primary recipient; or

(b)any person obtaining the information directly or indirectly from him,

without the consent of the person from whom the primary recipient obtained the information and, if different, the person to whom it relates.

(2)For the purposes of this section—

  • the primary recipient” means the Commission, the Chief Registrar, the central office or any officer or servant of any such person; and

  • restricted information” means information which is obtained by the primary recipient for the purposes of, or in the discharge of his functions under, this Act or the 1974 Act;

but information shall not be treated as restricted information if it has been made available to the public by virtue of being disclosed in any circumstances in which, or for any purpose for which, disclosure is not precluded by this section.

(3)Any information disclosed to the Commission or the Chief Registrar by an overseas regulatory authority (within the meaning of section 64 below) shall be treated as restricted information for the purposes of this section.

(4)A person who discloses information in contravention of this section shall be guilty of an offence and liable—

(a)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine or both; and

(b)on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or both.

Textual Amendments

F1S. 63A substituted (17.8.2001 for specified purposes and otherwise 1.12.2001) for ss. 63, 64 by S.I. 2001/2617, arts. 2, 8(1), 13(1), Sch. 3 para. 78 (with art. 13(3), Sch. 5); S.I. 2001/3538, art. 2(1)

Commencement Information

I1S. 63 wholly in force; s. 63 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 126(2); s. 63 in force for certain purposes at 13.1.1993 by S.I. 1993/16, art. 2, Sch. 1; s. 63 in force for all remaining purposes at 28.4.1993 by S.I. 1993/1186, art. 2(2), Sch. 2