Fair Trading Act 1973

133 General restrictions on disclosure of information. U.K.

(1) Subject to subsections (2) to (4) of this section, no information with respect to any particular business which has been obtained under or by virtue of the provisions (other than Part II) of this Act. . . . F1 shall, so long as that business continues to be carried on, be disclosed without the consent of the person for the time being carrying on that business.

(2) The preceding subsection does not apply to any disclosure of information which is made—

(a) for the purpose of facilitating the performance of any functions of the Director [F2 the Director General of Telecommunications,][F3 the Director General of Gas Supply,][F4 the Civil Aviation Authority,][F5 the Director General of Water Services,][F6 the Director General of Electricity Supply,][F7 the Director General of Electricity Supply for Northern Ireland][F8 or the Director General of Gas for Northern Ireland][F9 the Rail Regulator][F10 the Authorised Conveyancing Practitioners Board, the Coal Authority], the Commission, the Secretary of State or any other Minister under this Act, F11 . . . or [F12 the M1 Estate Agents Act 1979, or][F13 the M2 Competition Act 1980 [F2 or the Telecommunications Act 1984 F14 . . .,][F3 or the Gas Act 1986,][F4 or the Airports Act 1986,][F5 or the Water Act 1989,][F15 the Water Industry Act 1991 or any of the other consolidation Acts (within the meaning of section 206 of that Act of 1991)][F6 or the Electricity Act 1989,][F16 or the Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order 1992][F17 or Part IV of the Airports (Northern Ireland) Order 1994][F18 or the Broadcasting Act 1990,], or][F19 the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988][or the Gas (Northern Ireland) Order 1996][F9 or the Railways Act 1993][F20 or the Coal Industry Act 1994][F21 or the Competition Act 1998][F22 Part I of the Transport Act 2000 or][F23 EC Competition Law (Articles 84 and 85) Enforcement Regulations 2001][F24 or Chapter 2 of Part 18 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000]

(b) in pursuance of a Community obligation within the meaning of the M3 European Communities Act 1972.

(3) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply to any disclosure of information which is made for the purposes of any proceedings before the Restrictive Practices Court or of any other legal proceedings, whether civil or criminal, under this Act, F11 . . . [F25 or the Control of Misleading Advertisement Regulations 1988].

(4) Nothing in subsection (1) of this section shall be construed—

(a) as limiting the matters which may be included in, or made public as part of, a report of the Advisory Committee or of the Commission;

(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F26 ; or

(c) as applying to any information which has been made public as part of such a report or as part of that register.

(5) Any person who discloses any information in contravention of this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £400;

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

(6) In this section references to this Act shall be construed as including references to any enactment repealed by this Act.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words repealed by Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976 (c. 34), Sch. 6

F2 Words inserted by Telecommunications Act 1984 (c. 12, SIF 96), s. 109, Sch. 4 para. 57(3), Sch. 5 para. 45

F3 Words inserted by Gas Act 1986 (c. 44, SIF 44:2), s. 67(1), Sch. 7 para. 15(3)

F4 Words inserted by Airports Act 1986 (c. 31, SIF 9), s. 83(1), Sch. 4 para. 3

F5 Words inserted (E.W.) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 190(1), Sch. 25 para. 45(3)

F6 Words inserted (E.W.S.) by Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 112(1), Sch. 16 para. 16(4)

F7 Words in s. 133(2)(a) inserted (1.4.1992) by S.I. 1992/231 (N.I. 1), art. 95(1), Sch. 12 para. 10(a); S.R. 1992/117, art. 3(1)

F8 Words in s. 133(2)(a) inserted (N.I.) (10.6.1996) by 1996/275 (N.I. 2), art. 71(1) (with Sch. 7 paras. 2, 3(2)), Sch. 6; SR. 1996/216, art. 2

F9 Words in s. 133(2)(a) inserted (6.1.1994) by 1993 c. 43, ss. 150(1)(a), 152(1), Sch. 12 para. 7; S.I. 1993/3237, art. 2(2).

F10 Words in s.133(2)(a) substituted for the words “or the Authorised Conveyancing Practitioners Board” (31.10.1994) by 1994 c. 21, s. 67, Sch. 9 para. 14(a); S.I. 1994/2553, art. 2

F11 Words in s. 133(2)(a)(3) repealed (1.3.2000) by S.I. 2000/311, art. 9(5)

F12 Words added by Estate Agents Act 1979 (c. 38, SIF 124:4), s. 10(4)(a)

F13 Words added by Competition Act 1980 (c. 21, SIF 124:1), s. 19(4)(c)

F14 Words in s. 133(2)(a) repealed (1.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/3649, arts. 1, 285(2)

F15 Words in s. 133(2)(a) inserted (E.W.) (1.12.1991) by Water Consolidation (Consequential Provisions) Act 1991 (c. 60, SIF 130), ss. 2, 4(2), Sch. 1 para. 24(3)

F16 Words in s. 133(2)(a) inserted (1.4.1992) by S.I. 1992/231 (N.I. 1), art. 95(1), Sch. 12 para. 10(b); S.R. 1992/117, art. 3(1)

F17 Words in s. 133(2)(a) inserted (N.I.) (1.9.1995) by S.I. 1994/426 (N.I. 1), art. 71(2), Sch. 9 para. 2; S.R. 1995/294, art. 2, Sch.

F18 Words inserted by Broadcasting Act 1990 (c. 42, SIF 96), s. 203(1), Sch. 20 para. 20

F19 Words inserted by S.I. 1988/915, art. 7(6)(a)(i)

F20 Words in s. 133(2)(a) inserted (31.10.1994) by 1994 c. 21, s. 67, Sch. 9 para. 14(b) (with s. 40(7)); S.I. 1994/2553, art. 2

F21 Words inserted in s. 133(2)(a) (11.1.1999) by 1998 c. 41, s. 74(1), Sch. 12 para. 1(14) (with s. 73); S.I. 1999/3166, art. 2, Sch.

F22 Words in s. 133(2)(a) inserted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 97, Sch. 8 Pt. IV para. 11 (with s. 106); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3, Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to transitional provision and saving in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F23 Words in s. 133(2)(a) substituted (17.8.2001) by S.I. 2001/2916, reg. 35(1) (with reg. 36)

F24 Words in s. 133(2)(a) inserted (1.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/3649, arts. 1, 285(3)

F25 Words inserted by S.I. 1988/915, art. 7(6)(a)(ii)

F26 S. 133(4)(b) repealed by Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976 (c. 34), Sch. 6

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 133 amended (E.W.S.) (1.3.1996) by 1986 c. 44, s. 36A(2) (as inserted (1.3.1996) by 1995 c. 45, s. 10(1), Sch. 3 para. 43; S.I. 1996/218, art. 2)

s. 133 amended (10.6.1996) by S.I. 1996/275, art. 23(2) (with Sch. 7 paras. 2, 3(2)); S.R. 1996/216, art. 2

C2 "That register" means register under Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976 (c. 34)

S. 133 modified by Telecommunications Act 1984 (c. 12, SIF 96), s. 50(2)

S. 133 modified (E.W.) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 28(2)

S. 133 modified (E.W.S.) by Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 43(2)

S. 133 extended by S.I. 1990/1715, reg. 4

S. 133(1) excluded by Broadcasting Act 1990 (c. 42, SIF 96), s. 197(5)(a)

S. 133 amended (E.W.) (1.12.1991) by Water Industry Act 1991 (c. 56, SIF 130), ss. 31(4)(b), 35(4), 223(2) (with ss. 82(3), 186(1), 188, 222(1), Sch. 14 para. 6)

S. 133 modified (1.4.1992) by S.I. 1992/231 (N.I. 1), art. 46(2); S.R. 1992/117, art. 3(1)

S. 133 amended (E.W.S.) (1.4.1994) by 1993 c. 43, s. 67(2)(4); S.I. 1994/571, art. 5

C3 S. 133(3): disclosure powers extended (14.12.2001) by 2001 c. 24, s. 17, Sch. 4 Pt. I para. 9

C4 S. 133(4) amended (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 86(4)(a)(5) (with s. 106); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3, Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to transitional provision and saving in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

Marginal Citations

M1 1979 c. 38(124:4).

M2 1980 c. 21(124:1).

M3 1972 c. 68.