Agriculture Act 1970

21 Disclosure of information

(1) The furnishing of returns or other information with respect to any particular undertaking, or the production of books or other records of the undertaking, shall not be required in pursuance of any powers conferred by or under the preceding provisions of this Part of this Act except to, or as the case may be, for examination of those books or records by, an independent member of the Authority or an authorised officer.

(2) Without prejudice to subsection (1) of this section, returns or other information furnished or obtained by any person in pursuance of a requirement made under a scheme for the time being in force under section 16 of this Act, and any other information with respect to any particular undertaking which has been obtained under or by virtue of this Part of this Act, shall not be disclosed except—

(a) with the consent of the person by whom the information was furnished; or

(b) to an independent member of the Authority or an authorised officer; or

(c) to one or more of the Ministers, or to an officer or servant appointed by, or by one or more of, the Ministers, or to a person exercising functions on behalf of the Ministers or one or more of them ; or

(d) in the form of a summary of similar returns or information furnished by or obtained from a number of persons, being a summary so framed as not to enable particulars relating to any one person or undertaking to be ascertained from it; or

(e) with a view to the institution of, or otherwise for the purposes of, any criminal proceedings pursuant to or arising out of this Part of this Act.

(3) Any person who discloses any information in contravention of this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £400 or on conviction on indictment to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both.