Part XIIU.K. Miscellaneous and Supplementary Provisions

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 [F2the Director General of Telecommunications,][F3the Director General of Gas Supply,][F4the Civil Aviation Authority,][F5the Director General of Water Services,][F6the Director General of Electricity Supply,][F7the Director General of Electricity Supply for Northern Ireland][F8or the Director General of Gas for Northern Ireland][F9the Rail Regulator][F10the Authorised Conveyancing Practitioners Board, the Coal Authority], the Commission, the Secretary of State or any other Minister under this Act, [F11the M1 Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1956 or the M2 Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1968] or [F12the M3 Estate Agents Act 1979, or][F13the M4 Competition Act 1980 [F2or the Telecommunications Act 1984 [F14or Chapter XIV of Part I of the Financial Services Act 1986],][F3or the Gas Act 1986,][F4or the Airports Act 1986,][F5or the Water Act 1989,][F15the Water Industry Act 1991 or any of the other consolidation Acts (within the meaning of section 206 of that Act of 1991)][F6or the Electricity Act 1989,][F16or the Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order 1992][F17or Part IV of the Airports (Northern Ireland) Order 1994][F18or the Broadcasting Act 1990,], or][F19the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988][or the Gas (Northern Ireland) Order 1996][F9or the Railways Act 1993][F20or the Coal Industry Act 1994][F21or the Competition Act 1998][F22or the EC Competition Law (Articles 88and 89) Enforcement Regulations1996]

(b)in pursuance of a Community obligation within the meaning of the M5European 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, [F23the M6Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1956 or the M7Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1968][F24or 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). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F25; 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

F1Words repealed by Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976 (c. 34), Sch. 6

F2Words inserted by Telecommunications Act 1984 (c. 12, SIF 96), s. 109, Sch. 4 para. 57(3), Sch. 5 para. 45

F3Words inserted by Gas Act 1986 (c. 44, SIF 44:2), s. 67(1), Sch. 7 para. 15(3)

F4Words inserted by Airports Act 1986 (c. 31, SIF 9), s. 83(1), Sch. 4 para. 3

F5Words inserted (E.W.) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 190(1), Sch. 25 para. 45(3)

F6Words inserted (E.W.S.) by Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 112(1), Sch. 16 para. 16(4)

F7Words 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)

F8Words 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

F9Words 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).

F10Words 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

F11Words substituted by Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976 (c. 34, SIF 124:1), s. 44, Sch. 5

F12Words added by Estate Agents Act 1979 (c. 38, SIF 124:4), s. 10(4)(a)

F13Words added by Competition Act 1980 (c. 21, SIF 124:1), s. 19(4)(c)

F14Words inserted by Financial Services Act 1986 (c. 60, SIF 69), s. 182, Sch. 13 para. 1

F15Words 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)

F16Words 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)

F17Words 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.

F18Words inserted by Broadcasting Act 1990 (c. 42, SIF 96), s. 203(1), Sch. 20 para. 20

F19Words inserted by S.I. 1988/915, art. 7(6)(a)(i)

F20Words 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

F21Words 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.

F22Words inserted in s. 133(2)(a) (28.8.1996) by S.I. 1996/2199, reg. 29(1)