Part IV

General and Supplemental

Information provisions

Information to be kept confidential by the Authority.
59
1
Subject to the following provisions of this section, it shall be the duty of the Authority to establish and maintain such arrangements as it considers best calculated to secure that information which—
a
is in the Authority’s possession in consequence of either the carrying out of any of its functions or the transfer to the Authority, in accordance with a restructuring scheme, of any records, and
b
relates to the affairs of any individual or to any particular business,
is not, during the lifetime of that individual or so long as that business continues to be carried on, disclosed to any person without the consent of that individual or, as the case may be, of the person for the time being carrying on that business.
2
Nothing in subsection (1) above shall authorise or require the making of arrangements which prevent the disclosure of information—
a
for the purpose of facilitating the carrying out by the Secretary of State, the Treasury or the Authority of any of his, their or, as the case may be, its functions under this Act;
b
in pursuance of arrangements made under section 57 above;
c
for the purpose of facilitating the carrying out by any relevant authority of any of the functions in relation to which it is such an authority;
d
in connection with the investigation of any criminal offence or for the purposes of criminal proceedings;
e
for the purposes of any civil proceedings brought under this Act or any relevant enactment, of any proceedings before the Upper Tribunal or the Lands Tribunal for Scotland under the 1991 Act or of any arbitration for which provision is made by regulations under section 47(2) above;or
f
in pursuance of any Community obligation.
3
For the purposes of this section—
a
every Minister of the Crown and local weights and measures authority in Great Britain is a relevant authority in relation to his or, as the case may be, their functions under any relevant enactment;
b
the Secretary of State, the Treasury
, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority
are relevant authorities in relation to their functions under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000
, the Consumer Credit Act 1974
and the enactments relating to companies and insolvency;
c
an inspector appointed under the enactments relating to companies, an official receiver and any recognised professional body for the purposes of section 391 of the Insolvency Act 1986 are relevant authorities in relation to their functions as such;
d
every enforcing authority, within the meaning of Part I of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, is a relevant authority in relation to its functions under any relevant statutory provision, within the meaning of that Act;
dd
the Civil Aviation Authority is a relevant authority in relation to its functions under Part I of the Transport Act 2000;and
e
the following are relevant authorities in relation to all of their functions, that is to say—
i
the Comptroller and Auditor General;
ii
the Health and Safety Executive ...;
iia
the Office for Nuclear Regulation;
iii
the National Rivers Authority;
iv. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
v
the Competition and Markets Authority and the Director General of Electricity Supply;
vi
the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
f
the Natural Resources Body for Wales is a relevant authority in relation to its relevant transferred functions (within the meaning of article 11 of the Natural Resources Body for Wales (Establishment) Order 2012 (
S.I.
2012/1903
)).
4
In subsections (2) and (3) above “relevant enactment” means any of the following, that is to say—
a
the Trade Descriptions Act 1968;
b
the Fair Trading Act 1973;
c
the Consumer Credit Act 1974;
d
Part II of the Control of Pollution Act 1974;
e. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
f. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
g
the Estate Agents Act 1979;
h
the Competition Act 1980;
i
the Consumer Protection Act 1987;
j
the Electricity Act 1989;
k
the Water Resources Act 1991;
l
the Land Drainage Act 1991;
m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
n
the Competition Act 1998;
o
the Enterprise Act 2002;
p
the Water Act 2003;
q. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
r
any subordinate legislation made for the purpose of securing compliance with Directive 2006/114/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 concerning misleading and comparative advertising;
s
Parts 3 and 4 of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013;
t
the Water Act 2014;
u
the following provisions of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024—
i
Part 3;
ii
Chapter 1 of
Part 4;
iii
Chapter 2 of Part 5.
5
Nothing in any arrangements under this section shall—
a
limit the matters which may be contained in a report under section 60 below or section 49 of the 1991 Act (report on operation of that Act); or
b
restrict or prohibit the disclosure of any information which has already been made public—
i
as part of such a report;
ii
in pursuance of any arrangements under section 57 above;
iii
under any provision of section 31 or 32 above or Part III of this Act requiring the publication of any notice or other matter; or
iv
in the exercise of any power or the performance of any duty which is conferred or imposed on any person apart from this Act.
6
The Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument modify subsections (2) to (5) above so as to add to or restrict the descriptions of disclosures which are to be excluded from any prohibition contained in arrangements under subsection (1) above; and the power to make an order under this subsection shall be exercisable by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
7
Subject to subsection (8) below, where any licence under Part II of this Act or any such undertaking as is mentioned in section 57(4)(b) above contains provision for any information furnished to the Authority to be treated as subject to such an obligation of confidence as restricts the disclosure or use of that information without the consent of the person to whom that obligation is to be owed—
a
the requirement to comply with that obligation shall be a duty owed by the Authority to that person; and
b
any such disclosure or use, in contravention of that provision, of any information as causes the person to whom it is owed to sustain loss or damage shall be actionable against the Authority at the suit or instance of that person.
8
Subsection (7) above shall not apply, except in so far as the provisions of the licence or undertaking contain express provision to the contrary, to any disclosure of information which is for the time being excluded by virtue of subsections (2) to (5) above from the prohibition contained in arrangements under subsection (1) above.
9
In this section “records” has the same meaning as in section 57 above.
S. 59(2): disclosure powers extended (14.12.2001) by 2001 c. 24, s. 17, Sch. 4 Pt. I para. 35
S. 59(3)(b) substituted (3.7.2002) by S.I. 2002/1555, art. 23
1986 c. 45.
1974 c. 37.
S. 59(3)(dd) inserted (21.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/4050, art. 2, Sch. Pt. IV para. 24
S. 59(3)(e)(vi) substituted (1.4.1996) by S.I. 1996/973, reg. 16.
1968 c. 29.
1973 c. 41.
1974 c. 40.
S. 59(4)(e)(f) repealed (1.3.2000) by 1998 c. 41, s. 74(1)(3), Sch. 12 para. 18(a), Sch. 14 Pt. I; S.I. 2000/344, art. 2, Sch.
1979 c. 38.
1980 c. 21.
1987 c. 43.
1989 c. 29.
1991 c. 57.
1991 c. 59.
S. 59(4)(n) inserted (11.1.1999) by 1998 c. 41, s. 74(1), Sch. 12, para. 18(b); S.I. 1998/3166, art. 2, Sch.
Words in s. 59(3)(e)(v) substituted (1.4.2014) by The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (Competition) (Consequential, Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/892), art. 1(1), Sch. 1 para. 113(a)(ii) (with art. 3)
S. 59(4)(s) inserted (1.4.2014) by The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (Competition) (Consequential, Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/892), art. 1(1), Sch. 1 para. 113(b) (with art. 3)
S. 59(4)(q) omitted (6.4.2025) by virtue of Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (c. 13), s. 339(1), Sch. 30 para. 24(a); S.I. 2025/272, reg. 2(1)(14)
S. 59(3)(e)(iv) omitted (1.4.2014) by virtue of The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (Competition) (Consequential, Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/892), art. 1(1), Sch. 1 para. 113(a)(i) (with art. 3)
Words in s. 59(3)(b) inserted (26.7.2013 for specified purposes, 1.4.2014 in so far as not already in force) by The Financial Services Act 2012 (Consumer Credit) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/1882), arts. 1(1), 10(2)
S. 59(3)(f) inserted (1.4.2013) by The Natural Resources Body for Wales (Functions) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/755), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 360 (with Sch. 7)
S. 59(4)(t) inserted (31.3.2017) by The Water Act 2014 (Consequential Amendments etc.) Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/506), arts. 1(1), 9
S. 59(4)(m) repealed (26.5.2008) by The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1277), reg. 1, Sch. 2 para. 57(a), Sch. 4 Pt. 1 (with reg. 28(2)(3))
Words in s. 59(3)(e)(ii) omitted (1.4.2008) by virtue of The Legislative Reform (Health and Safety Executive) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/960), art. 1, Sch. 3 (with art. 21, Sch. 2)
S. 59(4)(u) inserted (1.1.2025) by Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (c. 13), s. 339(1), Sch. 30 para. 24(b); S.I. 2024/1226, regs. 1(2), 2(1)(22)
S. 59(4)(p) inserted (1.4.2004) by Water Act 2003 (c. 37), s. 105(3), Sch. 7 para. 31; S.I. 2004/641, art. 3(y), Sch. 2 (with Sch. 3 para. 7)
Words in s. 59(2)(e) substituted (1.6.2009) by The Transfer of Tribunal Functions (Lands Tribunal and Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1307), art. 1, Sch. 1 para. 257 (with Sch. 5)
S. 59(4)(o) inserted (1.4.2003) by Enterprise Act 2002 (c. 40), s. 279, Sch. 25 para. 32(2)(b); S.I. 2003/766, art. 2, Sch. (with art. 3) (as amended (20.7.2007) by S.I. 2007/1846, reg. 3(2), Sch.)
S. 59(3)(e)(iia) inserted (1.4.2014) by Energy Act 2013 (c. 32), s. 156(1), Sch. 12 para. 70; S.I. 2014/251, art. 4
Words in s. 59(3)(b) substituted (1.4.2013) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s.122(3), Sch. 19 para. 18 (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch.
Words in s. 59(4)(u)(ii) omitted (6.4.2025 for specified purposes) by virtue of The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/381), reg. 1(2)(4), Sch. para. 13