Bank of England Act 1998

Restricted information

1 (1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), information is restricted information for the purposes of this paragraph if—

(a) it is obtained by the Bank by virtue of the power conferred by section 17(1) or paragraph 9 of Schedule 2 (whether or not it was obtained pursuant to a notice under that provision), and

(b) it relates to the business or other affairs of any person.

(2) Information is not restricted information for the purposes of this paragraph if—

(a) it has been made available to the public from other sources, or

(b) it is in the form of a summary or collection of information so framed as not to enable information relating to any particular person to be ascertained from it.

(3) Except as permitted by the following provisions of this Schedule, restricted information shall not be disclosed by—

(a) the Bank or any officer or servant of the Bank, or

(b) any person obtaining the information directly or indirectly from the Bank,

without the consent of the person from whom the Bank obtained the information and, if different, the person to whom the information relates.

(4) Any person who discloses information in contravention of this paragraph shall be guilty of an offence and liable—

(a) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years, or to a fine, or to both;

(b) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months, or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both.