(1)Subject to subsections (3) to (5) below, no information obtained under or by virtue of this Act about any individual shall be disclosed without his consent.
(2)Subject to subsections (3) to (5) below, no information obtained under or by virtue of this Act about any business shall be disclosed except, so long as the business continues to be carried on, with the consent of the person for the time being carrying it on.
(3)Subsections (1) and (2) above do not apply to any disclosure of information made—
(a)for the purpose of facilitating the performance of any functions under this Act, the M1Trade Descriptions Act 1968,the M2Fair Trading Act 1973,the M3Consumer Credit Act 1974 F1. . . [F2or the M4Competition Act 1980][F3or the Telecommunications Act 1984][F4or the Gas Act 1986][F5or the Airports Act 1986][F6or the Consumer Protection Act 1987][F7or the Water Act 1989] [F8the Water Industry Act 1991 or any of the other consolidation Acts (within the meaning of section 206 of that Act of 1991)] [F9or the Electricity Act 1989][F10or the Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order 1992][F11or the Gas (Northern Ireland) Order 1996][F12or Part IV of the Airports (Northern Ireland) Order 1994][F13or the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988][F14or the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990][F15or the Railways Act 1993][F16or the Coal Industry Act 1994][F17or the Competition Act 1998][F18or the Consumer Protection (Northern Ireland) Order 1987]of any Minister of the Crown, any Northern Ireland department, the Director [F3the Director General of Telecommunications,][F4the Director General of Gas Supply,][F5the Civil Aviation Authority,][F7the Director General of Water Services,][F9the Director General of Electricity Supply,][F10the Director General of Electricity Supply for Northern Ireland][F11or the Director General of Gas for Northern Ireland][F15the Rail Regulator][F19the Authorised Conveyancing Practitioners Board, the Coal Authority] or a local weights and measures authority in Great Britain, or
(b)in connection with the investigation of any criminal offence or for the purposes of any criminal proceedings, or
(c)for the purposes of any civil proceedings brought under or by virtue of this Act or any of the other enactments [F20or subordinate legislation]specified in paragraph (a) above.
(4)For the purpose of enabling the Director to use, in connection with his functions under this Act, information obtained by him in the exercise of functions under certain other enactments, the following amendments shall be made in provisions restricting disclosure of information . . . F21
(5)Nothing in subsections (1) and (2) above shall be construed—
(a)as limiting the particulars which may be entered in the register; or
(b)as applying to any information which has been made public as part of the register.
(6)Any person who discloses information in contravention of this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum and, on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine or both.
Textual Amendments
F1Words in s. 10(3)(a) repealed (1.3.2000) by 1998 c. 41, s. 74(1)(3), Sch. 12 para. 3(a), Sch. 14 Pt. I (with s. 73); S.I. 2000/344, art. 2, Sch.
F2Words added by Competition Act 1980 (c. 21, SIF 124:1), s. 19(4)(f)
F3Words inserted by Telecommunications Act 1984 (c. 12, SIF 96), s. 109(1), Sch. 4 para. 72, Sch. 5 para. 45
F4Words inserted (E.W.S.) by Gas Act 1986 (c. 44, SIF 44:2), s. 67(1), Sch. 7 para. 27
F5Words inserted by Airports Act 1986 (c. 31, SIF 9), s. 83(1), Sch. 4 para. 6
F6Words inserted by Consumer Protection Act 1987 (c. 43, SIF 109:1), s. 48(1), Sch. 4 para. 6
F7Words inserted (E.W.) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 190(1), Sch. 25 para. 57
F8Words in s. 10(3)(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. 33
F9Words inserted (E.W.S.) by Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 112(1), Sch. 16 para. 24
F10Words in s. 10(3)(a) inserted (1.4.1992) by S.I. 1992/231 (N.I. 1), art. 95(1), Sch. 12 para. 20; S.R. 1992/117, art. 3(1).
F11Words in s. 10(3)(a) inserted (N.I.) (10.6.1996) by S.I. 1996/275 (N.I. 2), art. 71(1), Sch. 6 (with Sch. 7 paras. 2, 3(2)); S.R. 1996/216, art. 2
F12Words in s. 10(3)(a) inserted (N.I.) (1.9.1995) by S.I. 1994/426 (N.I. 1), art. 71(2), Sch. 9 para. 7 (with art. 16); S.R. 1995/294, art. 2
F13Words inserted by S.I. 1988/915, art. 7(6)(d)(i)
F14Words inserted (prosp.) by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 37), ss. 124(3), 125(3), Sch. 18 para. 22(1)(a)
F15Words in s. 10(3)(a) inserted (6.1.1994) by 1993 c. 43, s. 152(1), Sch. 12 para. 11 (with s. 150(1)(o)); S.I. 1993/3237, art. 2(2).
F16Words in s. 10(3) inserted (31.10.1994) by 1994 c. 21, s. 67, Sch. 9 para. 21 (with ss. 40(7), 66); S.I. 1994/2553, art. 2
F17Words in s. 10(3)(a) inserted (11.1.1999) by 1998 c. 41, s. 74(1), Sch. 12 para. 3(b) (with s. 73); S.I. 1998/3166, art. 2, Sch.
F18Words inserted by S.I. 1987/2049 (N.I. 20), art. 35(1), Sch. 3 para. 4
F19Words substituted (31.10.1994) by 1994 c. 21, s. 67, Sch. 9 para. 21 (with ss. 40(7), 66); S.I. 1994/2553, art. 2
F20Words inserted by S.I. 1988/915, art. 7(6)(d)(ii)
F21Words at end of s. 10(4) were omitted from Statutes in Force, they amend Fair Trading Act 1973 (c. 41), s. 133(2)(a), Consumer Credit Act 1974 (c. 39), s. 174(3)(a) and Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976 (c. 34), s. 41(1)(a)
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 10(3): disclosure powers extended (14.12.2001) by 2001 c. 24, ss. 17, 127(2)(a), Sch. 4 Pt. I para. 17
Marginal Citations
M11968 c. 29(109:1).
M21973 c. 41(124:1).
M31974 c. 39(60).
M41980 c. 21(124:1).