Gas Act 1986

42 General restrictions on disclosure of information. E+W+S

(1) Subject to the following provisions of this section, no information with respect to any particular business which—

(a) has been obtained under or by virtue of the provisions of this Part; and

(b) relates to the affairs of any individual or to any particular business,

shall, during the lifetime of that individual or so long as that business continues to be carried on, be disclosed without the consent of that individual or the person for the time being carrying on that business.

[F1 (1A) Subsection (1) above does not apply to any disclosure of information if—

(a) the disclosure is required by a notice under subsection (1) or (1A) of section 38 above;

(b) the information has been obtained in pursuance of a notice under subsection (1A) of that section; F2 . . .

[F3 (c) the disclosure is made by a licence holder and is required by a condition of his licence; or

(d) the disclosure is made by one licence holder to another and is required by that other licence holder for purposes connected with the carrying on of relevant activities.]

(1B) In subsection (1A) above “relevant activities”, in relation to a licence holder, means—

(a) activities which he is authorised by his licence to carry on; and

(b) in the case of a public gas transporter, such activities as are mentioned in section 7(1)(b) and (c) above.]

(2) Subsection (1) above does not apply to any disclosure of information which is made—

(a) for the purpose of facilitating the performance of any functions assigned to the Secretary of State, the Director or the [F4 Competition Commission] by or under this Part;

(b) for the purpose of facilitating the performance of any functions of any Minister of the Crown, the Director General of Fair Trading [F5 Competition Commission][F6 the Director General of Water Services][F7 the Director General of Electricity Supply][F8 the Rail Regulator] or a local weights and measures authority in Great Britain under any of the enactments [F9 or subordinate legislation] specified in subsection (3) below;

(c) for the purpose of facilitating the performance of any functions of the Health and Safety Executive under any enactment;[F10 (cc) for the purpose of facilitating the carrying out by the Comptroller and Auditor General of any of his functions under any enactment;]

(d) in connection with the investigation of any criminal offence or for the purposes of any criminal proceedings;

(e) for the purposes of any civil proceedings brought under or by virtue of this Part or any of the enactments [F11 or subordinate legislation] specified in subsection (3) below; or

(f) in pursuance of a Community obligation.

(3) The enactments [F12 and subordinate legislation] referred to in subsection (2) above are—

(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F13

(b) the M1 Trade Descriptions Act 1968;

(c) the M2 Fair Trading Act 1973;

(d) the M3 Consumer Credit Act 1974;

F14 (e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F14 (f) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(g) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F13

(h) the M4 Estate Agents Act 1979; F15

(i) the M5 Competition Act 1980.

[F16 (j) the M6 Consumer Protection Act 1987.]

[F17 (k) the M7 Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988]

[F18 (l) the M8 Water Act 1989 [F19 the M9 Water Industry Act 1991 or any of the other consolidation Acts (within the meaning of section 206 of that Act of 1991)].]

[F20 (m) the M10 Electricity Act 1989.]

[F21 (n) the Railways Act 1993]

[F22 (o) the Competition Act 1998]

[F23 (3A) The Secretary of State may by order provide that any of subsections (1A) to (3) above shall have effect subject to such modifications as are specified in the order.]

(4) Nothing in subsection (1) above shall be construed—

(a) as limiting the matters which may be published under section [F24 33C or] 35 above or may be included in, or made public as part of, a report of the Director, the Council or the [F4 Competition Commission] under any provision of this Part other than section 33(3) above; or

(b) as applying to any information which has been so published or has been made public as part of such a report.

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

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum;

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

[F25 (6) In relation to the Consumer Protection Act 1987 the reference in subsection (2)(b) above to a weights and measures authority shall include a reference to any person on whom functions under that Act are conferred by regulations under section 27(2) of that Act.]

[F26 (7) Information obtained by the Director in the exercise of functions which are exercisable concurrently with the Director General of Fair Trading under Part I of the Competition Act 1998 is subject to sections 55 and 56 of that Act (disclosure) and not to subsections (1) to (6) of this section.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 42(1A)(1B) inserted (1.3.1996) by 1995 c. 45, s. 10(1), Sch. 3 para. 50(1); S.I. 1996/218, art. 2

F2 Word in s. 42(1A)(b) omitted (12.5.2000) by virtue of S.I. 2000/1122, art. 2(a)

F3 S. 42(1A)(c)(d) substituted (12.5.2000) for s. 42(1A)(c) by S.I. 2000/1122, art. 2(b)

F4 Words in s. 42(2)(a)(4)(a) substituted (1.4.1999) by S.I. 1999/506, art. 20(b)

F5 Words in s. 42(2)(b) inserted (1.4.1999) by S.I. 1999/506, art. 20(c)

F6 Words inserted (E.W.) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 190(1), Sch. 25 para. 77(a) (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58)

F7 Words inserted by Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 112(1)(3), Sch. 16 para. 34(a), Sch. 17 para. 35(1)

F8 Words in s. 42(2)(b) inserted (6.1.1994) by 1993 c. 43, s. 152(1), Sch. 12 para. 24(1); S.I. 1993/3237, art. 2(2).

F9 Words inserted by S.I. 1988/915, reg. 7(6)(h)(i)

F10 S. 42(2)(cc) inserted (1.7.1992) by Competition and Service (Utilities) Act 1992 (c. 43), s. 56(6), Sch. 1 para 8(a); Commencement Order No. 1 made on 29.5.1992, art. 3, Sch. Pt. I.

F11 Words inserted by S.I. 1988/915, reg. 7(6)(h)(i)

F12 Words inserted by S.I. 1988/915, reg. 7(6)(h)(ii)

F13 S. 42(3)(a)(g) repealed by Consumer Protection Act 1987 (c. 43, SIF 109:1), ss. 41(2), 47(1)(2), 48(3), Sch. 5

F14 S. 42(3)(e)(f) repealed (1.3.2000) by 1998 c. 41, ss. 66(5), 74(2)(3) Sch. 10 Pt. IV para. 10(6)(a), Sch. 14 Pt. I (with s. 73); S.I. 2000/344, art. 2 Sch.

F15 Word repealed by Consumer Protection Act 1987 (c. 43, SIF 109:1), ss. 41(2), 47(1)(2), 48(3), Sch. 5

F16 S. 42(3)(j) inserted by Consumer Protection Act 1987 (c. 43, SIF 109:1), ss. 41(2), 47(1)(2), 48(1), Sch. 4 para. 11(a)

F17 S. 42(3)(k) inserted by S.I. 1988/915, reg. 7(6)(h)(ii)

F18 S. 42(3)(l) inserted (E.W.) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 190(1), Sch. 25 para. 77(b), (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)-(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58)

F19 Words in s. 42(3)(l) inserted (E.W.) (1.12.1991) by Water Consolidation (Consequential Provisions) Act 1991 (c. 60, SIF 130), ss. 2(1), 4(2), Sch. 1 para. 45

F20 S. 42(3)(m) inserted by Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 112(1), (3). Sch. 16 para. 34(b), Sch. 17 para. 35(1)

F21 S. 42(3)(n) added (6.1.1994) by 1993 c. 43, s. 152(1), Sch. 12 para. 24(2); S.I. 1993/3237, art. 2(2).

F22 S. 42(3)(o) inserted (11.1.1999) by 1998 c. 41, ss. 66(5), 76(2)(3), Sch. 10 Pt. IV para. 10(6)(b) (with s. 73); S.I. 1998/3166, art. 2, Sch.

F23 S. 42(3A) inserted (1.3.1996) by 1995 c. 45, s. 10(1), Sch. 3 para. 50(2); S.I. 1996/218, art. 2

F24 Words in s. 42(4)(a) inserted (1.7.1992) by Competition and Service (Utilities) Act 1992 (c. 43), S. 56(6), Sch. 1 para 8(b); Commencement Order No. 1 made on 29.5.1992, art. 3, Sch. Pt. I.

F25 S. 42(6) inserted by Consumer Protection Act 1987 (c. 43, SIF 109:1), ss. 41(2), 47(1)(2), 48(1), Sch. 4 para. 11(b)

F26 S. 42(7) inserted (1.3.2000) by 1998 c. 41, s. 6(5), Sch. 10 Pt. IV para. 10(7) (with s. 73); S.I. 2000/344, art. 2 Sch.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 42(1) excluded (28.7.2000) by 2000 c. 17, s. 30, Sch. 6 Pt. II para. 19(10)(b)

Marginal Citations

M1 1968 c. 29

M2 1973 c. 41

M3 1974 c. 39

M4 1979 c. 38

M5 1980 c. 21

M6 1987 c. 43

M7 S.I. 1988/915.

M8 1989 c. 15

M9 1991 c. 56

M10 1989 c. 29