115 Disclosure of information.E+W+S
(1)Any person who, apart from this subsection, would not have power to disclose information—
(a)to a relevant authority; or
(b)to a person acting on behalf of such an authority,
shall have power to do so in any case where the disclosure is necessary or expedient for the purposes of any provision of this Act.
(2)In [F1this section]“relevant authority” means—
(a)the chief officer of police for a police area in England and Wales;
(b)the chief constable of a police force maintained under the M1Police (Scotland) Act 1967;
(c)a police authority within the meaning given by section 101(1) of the M2Police Act 1996;
(d)a local authority, that is to say—
(i)in relation to England, a county council, a district council, a London borough council [F2, a parish council] or the Common Council of the City of London;
(ii)in relation to Wales, a county council [F3, a county borough council or a community council] ;
(iii)in relation to Scotland, a council constituted under section 2 of the M3Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994;
[F4(dza)a non-profit registered provider of social housing;]
[F5(da)a person registered under section 1 of the Housing Act 1996 as a social landlord;]
(e)a [F6local probation board] in England and Wales;
[F7(ea)a Strategic Health Authority;]
[F8(eb)probation trust
(ec)a provider of probation services (other than a probation trust or the Secretary of State), in carrying out its statutory functions or activities of a public nature in pursuance of arrangements made under section 3(2) of the Offender Management Act 2007]
(f)a [F9Local Health Board];
[F10(g)a Primary Care Trust];
[F11(h)the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority;
(i)a fire and rescue authority constituted by a scheme under section 2 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 or a scheme to which section 4 of that Act applies;
(j)a metropolitan county fire and rescue authority.]
[F12(3)The appropriate national authority may by order amend this section so far as it extends to England and Wales by—
(a)adding an entry for any person or body to the list of authorities in subsection (2),
(b)altering or repealing any entry for the time being included in the list, or
(c)adding, altering or repealing provisions for the interpretation of entries in the list.
(4)In subsection (3) “the appropriate national authority” has the same meaning as in section 5.]
Textual Amendments
F1Words in s. 115(2) substituted (1.8.2007 for E. and 19.11.2007 for W.) by Police and Justice Act 2006 (c. 48), ss. 22, 53(1)(a)(5), Sch. 9 para. 7(2); S.I. 2007/1614, art 3(b); S.I. 2007/3251, art. 2
F2Words in s. 115(2)(d)(i) inserted (1.10.2002 for E. and 1.4.2003 for W.) by Police Reform Act 2002 (c. 30), ss. 97(14)(a), 108(2)(4); S.I. 2002/2306, art. 2(f)(viii); S.I. 2003/525, art. 2
F3Words in s. 115(2)(d)(ii) substituted (1.10.2002 for E. and 1.4.2003 for W.) by Police Reform Act 2002 (c. 30), ss. 97(14)(b), 108(2)(4); S.I. 2002/2306, art. 2(f)(viii); S.I. 2003/525, art. 2
F4S. 115(2)(dza) inserted (1.4.2010) by The Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (Consequential Provisions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/866), art. 5, Sch. 2 para. 111
F5S. 115(2)(da) inserted (E.W.) (18.1.2005) by Housing Act 2004 (c. 34), ss. 219, 270(3)(a)
F6Words in s. 115(2)(e) substituted (1.4.2001) by 2000 c. 43, s. 74, Sch. 7 Pt. II para. 151; S.I. 2001/919, art. 2(f)(ii)
F7S. 115(2)(ea) inserted (1.10.2002) by The National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002 (Supplementary, Consequential etc. Provisions) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2469), reg. 4, Sch. 1 Pt. 1 para. 25(6)
F8S. 115(2)(eb)(ec) inserted (1.4.2008) by The Offender Management Act 2007 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/912), art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 13(7)
F9Words in s. 115(2)(f) substituted (1.4.2007) by The References to Health Authorities Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/961), art. 3, Sch. para. 29(2)(f)
F10S. 115(2)(g) added (8.2.2000) by The Health Act 1999 (Supplementary, Consequential etc. Provisions) Order 2000 (S.I. 2000/90), arts. 1, 3(1), Sch. 1 para. 35(7)
F11S. 115(2)(h)-(j) inserted (1.8.2007 for E. and 19.11.2007 for W.) by Police and Justice Act 2006 (c. 48), ss. 22, 53(1)(a)(5), Sch. 9 para. 7(2); S.I. 2007/1614, art 3(b); S.I. 2007/3251, art. 2
F12S. 115(3)(4) inserted (1.8.2007 for E. and 19.11.2007 for W.) by Police and Justice Act 2006 (c. 48), ss. 22, 53(1)(a), Sch. 9 para. 7(3); S.I. 2007/1614, art. 3(b); S.I. 2007/3073, art. 2(a)
Commencement Information
I1S. 115 wholly in force; S. 115 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 121; In force at 30.9.1998 by S.I. 1998/2327, art. 2(1) (subject to savings in arts. 5-8)
Marginal Citations