General and Supplementary
23Restrictions on disclosing information or returns.
1
Subject to subsection (2), any person who discloses any information obtained by him in the exercise of any power conferred on him or on the Ministry or on any board by or under this Act shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds.
2
Nothing in subsection (1) shall apply to the disclosure of any information:—
a
made by a board in compliance with a requisition underF1 Article 43 of the Diseases of Animals (Northern Ireland) Order 1981;
F2aa
made to a district council for the purposes of its functions under the Food and Drugs Act (Northern Ireland) 1958 [1958 c.27] , or to the Ministry;]
F3aaa
made to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, or to any member of that Commission or to any of the staff of that Commission, or to the Director General of Fair Trading or any of the staff appointed by that Director General, if it is made for the purpose of enabling the Commission or the Director General to perform any functions of theirs or his under the Fair Trading Act 1973 [1973 c.41] ] [F4 or the Competition Act 1980 [1980 c.21] ];
b
made for the purposes of a prosecution or other legal proceedings (including arbitrations) under this Act or under a scheme or regulation made under this Act or for the purpose of any report of such proceedings;
c
if, and in so far as, the disclosure is required or authorised by this Act or any scheme or regulation made thereunder.
3
No individual return or part of a return made to the Ministry in accordance with an order of the Ministry under this Act shall be disclosed without the authority of the person by whom the return was made, except in so far as the disclosure is authorised by subsection (2).