Audit Commission Act 1998 (repealed)

49 Restriction on disclosure of information. E+W

(1) No information relating to a particular body or other person and obtained by the Commission or an auditor, or by a person acting on behalf of the Commission or an auditor, pursuant to any provision of this Act [F1 or of Part I of the Local Government Act 1999] or in the course of any audit or study under any such provision shall be disclosed except—

(a) with the consent of the body or person to whom the information relates;

(b) for the purposes of any functions of the Commission or an auditor under this Act [F2 or under Part I of the 1999 Act];

F3 (ba) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(bb) to the National Assembly for Wales for the purposes of its functions under Chapter 4 of [F4 Part 2 of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003];

(c) in the case of a health service body, for those purposes or for the purposes of the functions of the Secretary of State and the Comptroller and Auditor General under [F5 the National Health Service Act 2006] F6 ...;

[F7 (ca) to Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills for the purposes of his functions under Chapter 4 of Part 8 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006;]

[F8 (cb) for the purposes of the functions of the Care Quality Commission under Part 1 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008;]

[F9 (cc) for the purposes of the functions of the Regulator of Social Housing under Part 2 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008;]

(d) for the purposes of the functions of the Secretary of State relating to social security;

[F10 (da) for the purposes of any function of the Auditor General for Wales under the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004 or (in relation to a health service body) under the Government of Wales Act 1998;]

[F11 (dd) to the Mayor of London, where the information relates to the Greater London Authority or a functional body;]

[F12 (de) for the purposes of the functions of F13 ... the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales under Part 3 of the Local Government Act 2000;]

[F14 (df) for the purposes of the functions of a monitoring officer under that Part or regulations made under that Part;]

F15 (e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(f) for the purposes of any criminal proceedings.

F16 (1A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2) References in subsection (1) to studies and to functions of the Commission do not include studies or functions under section 36.

[F17 (2A) A person who is, or acts on behalf of a person who is, a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, may also disclose [F18 such information in any circumstances unless] the disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the effective performance of a function imposed or conferred on the person by or under an enactment.

(2B) An auditor who does not fall within subsection (2A), or a person acting on his behalf, may also disclose such information except where the disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the effective performance of a function imposed or conferred on the auditor by or under an enactment.

(2C) A person who does not fall within subsection (2A) or (2B) may also disclose such information in accordance with consent given by the Commission or an auditor.

(2D) Section 49ZA makes further provision about consent for the purposes of subsection (2C).]

(3) A person who discloses information in contravention of [F19 this section] is guilty of an offence and liable—

(a) on summary conviction, F20 ... to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum F20 ...

F21 (b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 49(1) inserted (27.9.1999 subject to art. 3(2)(b) of S.I. 1999/2169 and otherwise 1.10.1999) by 1999 c. 27, art. 22(5)(a); S.I. 1999/2169, art. 3(2), Sch. 2; S.I. 1999/2815, art. 2

F2 Words in s. 49(1)(b) inserted (27.9.1999 subject to art. 3(2)(b) S.I. 1999/2169 and otherwise 1.10.1999) by 1999 c. 27, art. 22(5)(b); S.I. 1999/2169, art. 3(2), Sch. 2; S.I. 1999/2815, art. 2

F3 S. 49(1)(ba) repealed (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care Act 2008 (c. 14), s. 170(3)(4), Sch. 5 para. 68(2), Sch. 15 Pt. 1; S.I. 2009/462, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 paras. 35(x)36

F4 Words in s. 49(1)(bb) substituted (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care Act 2008 (c. 14), s. 170(3)(4), Sch. 5 para. 68(3); S.I. 2009/462, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 para. 35(x)

F5 Words in s. 49(1)(c) substituted (1.3.2007) by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006 (c. 43), s. 8(2), Sch. 1 para. 188 (with Sch. 3 Pt. 1)

F6 Words in s. 49(1)(c) repealed (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care Act 2008 (c. 14), s. 170(3)(4), Sch. 5 para. 68(4), Sch. 15 Pt. 1; S.I. 2009/462, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 paras. 35(x)36

F7 S. 49(1)(ca) inserted (1.4.2007) by Education and Inspections Act 2006 (c. 40), s. 188(3), Sch. 14 para. 30; S.I. 2007/935, art. 5(gg)

F8 S. 49(1)(cb) inserted (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care Act 2008 (c. 14), s. 170(3)(4), Sch. 5 para. 68(5); S.I. 2009/462, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 para. 35(x)

F9 S. 49(1)(cc) inserted (1.4.2010) by The Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (Registration of Local Authorities) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/844), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 24(4)

F10 S. 49(1)(da) inserted (1.4.2005) by Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004 (c. 23), s. 73, Sch. 2 para. 33; S.I. 2005/558, art. 2, Sch. 1

F11 S. 49(1)(dd) inserted (8.5.2000 for specified purposes and otherwise 3.7.2000) by 1999 c. 29, s. 133(2), Sch. 8 para. 11 (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 1999/3434, arts. 3, 4

F12 S. 49(1)(de) substituted for (1.4.2006) by Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005 (c. 10), s. 40, Sch. 6 para. 59; S.I. 2005/2800, art. 5(1)(3)

F13 Words in s. 49(1)(de) repealed (31.1.2012) by Localism Act 2011 (c. 20), s. 240(2), Sch. 4 para. 5, Sch. 25 Pt. 5; S.I. 2012/57, art. 5(1)(a)(c)(2)(a) (with arts. 6, 8)

F14 S. 49(1)(df) inserted (1.4.2008) by Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (c. 28), ss. 201(5), 245(5) (with s. 201); S.I. 2008/172, art. 4(l)

F15 S. 49(1)(e) omitted (1.1.2005) by virtue of The Freedom of Information (Removal and Relaxation of Statutory Prohibitions on Disclosure of Information) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/3363), arts. 1, 8(2)(a)

F16 S. 49(1A) repealed (31.1.2008) by Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (c. 28), ss. 164(2), 245(5), Sch. 18 Pt. 12 (with s. 164(7)); S.I. 2008/172, art. 2(1)(f)(u)(i)

F17 S. 49(2A)-(2D) inserted (31.1.2008) by Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (c. 28), ss. 164(3), 245(5) (with s. 164(7)); S.I. 2008/172, art. 2(1)(f)

F18 Words in s. 49(2A) substituted (1.4.2010) by Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (c. 17), s. 325(1), Sch. 9 para. 25; S.I. 2010/862, art. 2 (with Sch.)

F19 Words in s. 49(3) substituted (31.1.2008) by Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (c. 28), ss. 164(4)(a), 245(5) (with s. 164(7)); S.I. 2008/172, art. 2(1)(f)

F20 Words in s. 49(3)(a) repealed (31.1.2008) by Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (c. 28), ss. 164(4)(b), 245(5), Sch. 18 Pt. 12 (with s. 164(7)); S.I. 2008/172, art. 2(1)(f)(u)(i)

F21 S. 49(3)(b) repealed (31.1.2008) by Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (c. 28), ss. 164(4)(c), 245(5), Sch. 18 Pt. 12 (with s. 164(7)); S.I. 2008/172, art. 2(1)(f)(u)(i)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 49(1): disclosure powers extended (14.12.2001) by 2001 c. 24, ss. 17, 127(2), Sch. 4 Pt. I para. 41