(1)The registrar may use protected information for communicating with the director in question.
(2)The registrar may disclose protected information—
(a)to a public authority specified for the purposes of this section by regulations made by the Secretary of State, or
(b)to a credit reference agency.
(3)The Secretary of State may make provision by regulations—
(a)specifying conditions for the disclosure of protected information in accordance with this section, and
(b)providing for the charging of fees.
(4)The Secretary of State may make provision by regulations requiring the registrar, on application, to refrain from disclosing protected information relating to a director to a credit reference agency.
(5)Regulations under subsection (4) may make provision as to—
(a)who may make an application,
(b)the grounds on which an application may be made,
(c)the information to be included in and documents to accompany an application, and
(d)how an application is to be determined.
(6)Provision under subsection (5)(d) may in particular—
(a)confer a discretion on the registrar;
(b)provide for a question to be referred to a person other than the registrar for the purposes of determining the application.
(7)In this section—
“credit reference agency” means a person carrying on a business comprising the furnishing of information relevant to the financial standing of individuals, being information collected by the agency for that purpose; and
“public authority” includes any person or body having functions of a public nature.
(8)Regulations under this section are subject to negative resolution procedure.