http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/382/madeThe Digital Economy Act 2017 (Commencement No. 4) Regulations 2018enKing's Printer of Acts of Parliament2019-11-20CONSUMER PROTECTIONDISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION These Regulations bring into force specified provisions in Part 5 (Digital Government) of the Digital Economy Act 2017 (c.30), which provide information-sharing powers for public authorities and other persons, and access to information for the Statistics Board (which is usually known as the UK Statistics Authority). 2018 No. 382 (C. 31) Consumer Protection Disclosure Of Information The Digital Economy Act 2017 (Commencement No. 4) Regulations 2018 Made 15th March 2018 The Secretary of State makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 118(4), (6) and (7) of the Digital Economy Act 2017: Citation and interpretation 1 1 These Regulations may be cited as the Digital Economy Act 2017 (Commencement No. 4) Regulations 2018. 2 In these Regulations, “the Act” means the Digital Economy Act 2017. Provisions coming into force on 6th April 2018 2 Section 105 (secondary ticketing: duty to provide information) of the Act comes into force on 6th April 2018, in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only. Provisions coming into force on 1st May 2018 3 The following provisions of the Act come into force on 1st May 2018— a section 35 (disclosure of information to improve public service delivery), for all remaining purposes, in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; b section 36 (disclosure of information to gas and electricity suppliers etc), for all remaining purposes; c section 37 (disclosure of information by gas and electricity suppliers etc); d section 38 (disclosure of information to water and sewerage undertakers etc), for all remaining purposes; e section 39 (disclosure of information by water and sewerage undertakers etc), for all remaining purposes; f section 40 (further provisions about disclosures under any of sections 35 to 39), for all remaining purposes, in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; g section 41 (confidentiality of personal information), for all remaining purposes, in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; h section 42 (information disclosed by the Revenue and Customs), in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; i section 44 (regulations under Chapter 1), for all remaining purposes, in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; j section 45 (interpretation of Chapter 1 etc), in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; k section 46 (disclosure of information by civil registration officials), for all remaining purposes, except so far as those purposes relate to Northern Ireland; l section 47 (consequential provision: civil registration), for all remaining purposes, except so far as those purposes relate to Northern Ireland; m section 48 (disclosure of information to reduce debt owed to the public sector), for all remaining purposes, in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; n section 49 (further provisions about the power in section 48), in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; o section 50 (confidentiality of personal information), in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; p section 51 (information disclosed by the Revenue and Customs), in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; q section 53 (duty to review operation of Chapter 3), in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; r section 54 (regulations under Chapter 3), for all remaining purposes, in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; s section 55 (interpretation of Chapter 3), in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; t section 56 (disclosure of information to combat fraud against the public sector), for all remaining purposes, in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; u section 57 (further provisions about power in section 56), in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; v section 58 (confidentiality of personal information), in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; w section 59 (information disclosed by the Revenue and Customs), in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; x section 61 (duty to review operation of Chapter 4), in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; y section 62 (regulations under Chapter 4), for all remaining purposes, in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; z section 63 (interpretation of Chapter 4), in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; aa section 64 (disclosure of information for research purposes), for all remaining purposes; bb section 65 (provisions supplementary to section 64), for all remaining purposes; cc section 66 (bar on further disclosure of personal information), for all remaining purposes; dd section 67 (information disclosed by the Revenue and Customs), for all remaining purposes; ee section 68 (information disclosed by the Welsh Revenue Authority), for all remaining purposes; ff section 69 (information disclosed by Revenue Scotland); for all remaining purposes; gg section 70 (code of practice), for all remaining purposes; hh section 71 (accreditation for the purposes of Chapter 5), for all remaining purposes; ii section 72 (delegation of functions of the Statistics Board), for all remaining purposes; jj section 73 (interpretation of Chapter 5), for all remaining purposes; kk section 79 (disclosure of information by public authorities to the Statistics Board), for all remaining purposes. ll section 80 (access to information by the Statistics Board), for all remaining purposes; mm section 81 (disclosure by the Statistics Board to devolved administrations), for all remaining purposes); nn Schedule 4 (public service delivery: specified persons for the purposes of section 35), for all remaining purposes, in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; oo Schedule 5 (public service delivery: specified persons for the purposes of sections 36 and 37); pp Schedule 6 (public service delivery: specified persons for the purposes of sections 38 and 39), for all remaining purposes; qq Schedule 7 (specified persons for the purposes of the debt provisions), in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only; and rr Schedule 8 (specified persons for the purposes of the fraud provisions), in relation to England and Wales and Scotland only. Matthew Hancock Secretary of State Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 15th March 2018 EXPLANATORY NOTE (This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations bring into force specified provisions in Part 5 (Digital Government) of the Digital Economy Act 2017 (c.30), which provide information-sharing powers for public authorities and other persons, and access to information for the Statistics Board (which is usually known as the UK Statistics Authority).

They also bring into force section 105, in Part 6, which concerns information about secondary ticketing. Section 105 amends section 90(4) of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (c.15) by adding a further category of information necessary to enable a buyer of a ticket for a recreational, sporting or cultural event in the United Kingdom to identify a particular seat or standing area.

They are the fourth commencement regulations for the Digital Economy Act 2017. The Welsh Ministers have, in addition, made commencement regulations in relation to the disclosure of information to or by a water or sewerage undertaker for an area which is wholly or mainly in Wales, and in relation to the disclosure of information by the Welsh Revenue Authority (SI 2018/342 (W. 62) (C. 29).

The Explanatory Notes for the Digital Economy Act 2017 provide an explanation of the provisions in the Act and are available online (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/30/pdfs/ukpgaen_20170030_en.pdf) and in hard copy from TSO, PO Box 29, Norwich, NR3 1GN (telephone orders/general enquiries: 0333 202 5070). A full impact assessment for Part 5 is available from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, 100 Parliament Street, London SW1A 2BQ or online at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/567321/2016-06-21_Digital_government_impact_assessments.pdf.

 NOTE AS TO EARLIER COMMENCEMENT REGULATIONS (This note is not part of the Regulations)

The following provisions of the Digital Economy Act 2017 (c. 30) have been or are to be brought into force, to the extent indicated below, by commencement regulations made before the date of these Regulations.

The commencement made by the Welsh Ministers in SI 2018/342 (W. 62) (C. 29) applies to the disclosure of information to or by a water or sewerage undertaker for an area which is wholly or mainly in Wales and to the disclosure of information by the Welsh Revenue Authority.
ProvisionDate of CommencementS.I. No.
Section 4 (partially)31.07.172017/765
Section 4 (further purposes)22.11.172017/1136
Section 4 (remaining purposes)28.12.172017/1286
Section 531.07.172017/765
Section 631.07.172017/765
Section 831.07.172017/765
Section 14 (partially)31.07.172017/765
Section 15 (partially)31.07.172017/765
Section 1631.07.172017/765
Section 1731.07.172017/765
Section 21(5) (partially)31.07.172017/765
Section 22 (partially)31.07.172017/765
Section 2531.07.172017/765
Section 26(2)31.07.172017/765
Section 2731.07.172017/765
Section 30(1) and (2) (partially)31.07.172017/765
Section 3201.10.172017/765
Section 3301.10.172017/765
Section 3431.07.172017/765
Section 35 (partially)01.10.172017/765
Section 35 (further purposes)09.03.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 35 (further purposes)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 36 (partially)01.10.172017/765
Section 38 (partially)09.03.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 38 (further purposes)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 39 (partially)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 40 (partially)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 41 (partially)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 42 (partially)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 43 (partially)01.10.172017/765
Section 43 (further purposes)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 44 (partially)01.10.172017/765
Section 44 (further purposes)09.03.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 44 (further purposes)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 45 (partially)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 46 (partially)31.07.172017/765
Section 47 (partially)31.07.172017/765
Section 48 (partially)01.10.172017/765
Section 52 (partially)01.10.172017/765
Section 54 (partially)01.10.172017/765
Section 56 (partially)01.10.172017/765
Section 60 (partially)01.10.172017/765
Section 62 (partially)01.10.172017/765
Section 64 (partially)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 65 (partially)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 66 (partially)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 67 (partially)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 68 (partially)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 69 (partially)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 70 (partially)01.10.172017/765
Section 70 (further purposes)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 71 (partially)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 72 (partially)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 73 (partially)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 7431.07.172017/765
Section 7501.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Section 7631.07.172017/765
Section 7731.07.172017/765
Section 7831.07.172017/765
Section 79, except subsection (3) (partially)31.07.172017/765
Section 80 (partially)01.10.172017/765
Section 81 (partially)31.07.172017/765
Section 8731.07.172017/765
Section 9231.07.172017/765
Section 93, except subsection (3)31.07.172017/765
Section 9531.07.172017/765
Section 9831.07.172017/765
Section 10031.07.172017/765
Section 10131.07.172017/765
Section 10201.10.182017/765
Section 10431.07.172017/765
Section 106 (partially)31.07.172017/765
Section 10831.07.172017/765
Section 10931.07.172017/765
Section 11031.07.172017/765
Schedule 1 (partially)31.07.172017/765
Schedule 1 (further purposes)22.11.172017/1136
Schedule 1 (remaining purposes)28.12.172017/1286
Schedule 228.12.172017/1286
Schedule 3, paragraph 4731.07.172017/765
Schedule 3 (remaining purposes)28.12.172017/1286
Schedule 4 (partially)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)
Schedule 6 (partially)01.04.182018/342 (W. 62)

2017 c. 30