Commentary on Sections
Part 4: Enforcement
Section 18 – Supply and use of information by enforcement authorities
78.This section makes provision about the supply between enforcement authorities of information relevant to enforcing the provisions of this Part, and provision about the purposes for which such information may be used.
79.Subsection (1) allows an enforcement authority to require information from other enforcement authorities. The information to which subsection (1) applies is described by subsection (2) and captures any information obtained by an enforcement authority in the exercise of its functions under this Part, including information which is in an authority’s possession by virtue of a previous request for information made under subsection (1).
80.An authority to which a request for information is made will be obliged to comply with the request unless it considers that to do so would be incompatible with the exercise of any of its other functions; including functions exercisable by it otherwise than under this Part.
81.Subsections (3) and (4) address the purposes for which information relevant to the enforcement of the provisions of this Part may be used by enforcement authorities.
82.Subsection (3) authorises, for the purposes of the enforcement of this Part, the use of any information described by subsection (5). This includes information which an enforcement authority (in its capacity as a local housing authority or a licensing authority, as the case may be) is permitted by section 36 of the 2014 Act to use for purposes connected to the exercise of its functions under Part 1 of that Act.
83.Subsection (4) authorises the use of information in the opposite direction, so that an enforcement authority may use information within subsection (5)(a) or (b) obtained in the exercise of functions under this Part for the purposes of any of its functions under Part 1 of the 2014 Act.
84.A licensing authority which is an enforcement authority will not require the consent of a local housing authority to exercise functions under this section (see subsection (6)).