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(1)Subject to subsection (2) below, no information with respect to any particular business which has been obtained under or by virtue of the provisions of this Act shall, so long as that business continues to be carried on, be disclosed without the consent of the person for the time being carrying on that business; but this subsection does not apply to any disclosure of information which is made—
(a)for the purpose of facilitating the performance of any functions of the Director, [F1the Director General of Telecommunications,][F2the Director General of Gas Supply,][F3the Civil Aviation Authority,][F4the Director General of Water Services,][F5the Director General of Electricity Supply][F6the Director General of Electricity Supply for Northern Ireland][F7the Rail Regulator][F8the Authorised Conveyancing Practitioners Board, the Coal Authority] the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, the Secretary of State or any other Minister under this Act or the M1Fair Trading Act 1973 [F9or the M2Estate Agents Act 1979][F10or the M3Competition Act 1980][F1or the Telecommunications Act 1984][F11or Chapter XIV of Part I of the Financial Services Act 1986][F2or the Gas Act 1986][F3or the Airports Act 1986][F4or the Water Act 1989][F12the Water Industry Act 1991 or any of the other consolidation Acts (within the meaning of section 206 of that Act of 1991)][F13or the Electricity Act 1989][F6or the Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order 1992][F14or the Broadcasting Act 1990][F15or the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988][F16or the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990][F17or the Railways Act 1993][F8or the Coal Industry Act 1994];
(b)in pursuance of a Community obligation;
(c)for the purposes of any proceedings before the Court or of any other legal proceedings, whether civil or criminal, under this Act or the M4Fair Trading Act 1973 [F18or the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988].
(2)Nothing in subsection (1) above shall be construed—
(a)as limiting the particulars which may be entered or filed in, or made public as part of, the register under this Act; or
(b)as applying to any information which has been made public as part of that register.
(3)Any person who discloses any information in contravention of this section is guilty of an offence and liable—
(a)on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £400;
(b)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine or to both.
(4)No prosecution for an offence under this section shall be commenced after the expiry of three years from the commission of the offence or one year from its discovery by the prosecutor whichever is the earlier.
(5)Notwithstanding anything in [F19section 127(1) of the M5Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980], a magistrates’ court may try an information for an offence under this section if the information was laid within twelve months from the commission of the offence.
(6)Notwithstanding anything in [F20section 331 of the M6Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975], summary proceedings in Scotland for an offence under this section may be commenced within twelve months from the commission of the offence, and [F20subsection (3) of the said section 331] applies for the purposes of this subsection as it applies for the purposes of that section.
(7)In the application of this section to Northern Ireland, for the references in subsection (5) above to [F21section 127(1) of the M7Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980] and to the trial and laying of an information there shall be substituted respectively references to [F22Article 19(1) of the Magistrates’ Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981] and to the hearing and determination and making of a complaint.
Textual Amendments
F1Words inserted by Telecommunications Act 1984 (c. 12, SIF 96), s. 109, Sch. 4 para. 65, Sch. 5 para. 45
F2Words inserted by Gas Act 1986 (c. 44, SIF 44:2), s. 67(1), Sch. 7 para. 23
F3Words inserted by Airports Act 1986 (c. 31, SIF 9), s. 83(1), Sch. 4 para. 5
F4Words inserted (E.W.) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 190(1), Sch. 25 para. 53
F5Words inserted (E.W.S.) after “the Director General of Water Supply” by Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 112(1), Sch. 16 para. 19
F6Words in s. 41(1)(a) inserted (1.4.1992) by S.I. 1992/231 (N.I. 1), art. 95(1), Sch. 12 para. 16(a)(b); S.R. 1992/117, art. 3(1)
F7Words in s. 41(1) inserted (6.1.1994) by 1993 c. 43, ss. 150(1)(o), 152(1), Sch. 12 para. 10(a); S.I. 1993/3237, art. 2(2)
F8Words in s. 41(1)(a) substituted (31.10.1994) by 1994 c. 21, s. 67(1), Sch. 9 para. 17(a)(b) (with ss. 40(7), 66); S.I. 1994/2553, art. 2
F9Words added by Estate Agents Act 1979 (c. 38, SIF 124:4), s. 10(4)(c)
F10Words added by Competition Act 1980 (c. 21, SIF 124:1), s. 19(4)(e)
F11Words inserted by Financial Services Act 1986 (c. 60, SIF 69), s. 182, Sch. 13 para. 2
F12S. 41(1)(a): by Water Consolidation (Consequential Provisions) Act 1991 (c. 60, SIF 130), ss. 2, 4(2), Sch. 1 para. 31 words are expressed to be inserted (E.W.) (1.12.1991) after 'or the Water Act 1989,' in s. 4(1)(a)
F13Words inserted (E.W.S.) by Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29, SIF 44:1), s. 112(1), Sch. 16 para. 19
F14Words inserted by Broadcasting Act 1990 (c. 42, SIF 96), s. 203(1), Sch. 20 para. 25
F15Words inserted by S.I. 1988/915, art. 7(6)(c)(i)
F16Words inserted (prosp.) by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 37), ss. 124(3), 125(3), Sch. 18 para. 19(b)
F17Words in s. 41(1) inserted (6.1.1994) by 1993 c. 43, ss. 150(1)(o), 152(1), Sch. 12 para. 10(b); S.I. 1993/3237, art. 2(2)
F18Words inserted by S.I. 1988/915, art. 7(6)(c)(ii)
F19Words substituted by Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 (c. 43, SIF 82), s. 154, Sch. 7 para. 140
F20Words substituted by virtue of Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21), s. 460(7)
F21Words substituted (with saving) by Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 (c. 43, SIF 82), s. 154, Sch. 7 para. 140
F22Words substituted by S.I. 1981/1675 (N.I. 26), art. 170(2), Sch. 6 para. 43
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 41(1) excluded by Broadcasting Act 1990 (c. 42, SIF 96), s. 197(5)(b)
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