National Minimum Wage Act 1998

Information

15Information obtained by officers

(1)This section applies to any information obtained by an officer acting for the purposes of this Act, whether by virtue of paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of section 13(1) above.

(2)Information to which this section applies vests in the Secretary of State.

(3)Information to which this section applies may be used for any purpose relating to this Act by—

(a)the Secretary of State; or

(b)any relevant authority whose officer obtained the information.

(4)Information to which this section applies—

(a)may be supplied by, or with the authorisation of, the Secretary of State to any relevant authority for any purpose relating to this Act; and

(b)may be used by the recipient for any purpose relating to this Act.

(5)Information supplied under subsection (4) above—

(a)shall not be supplied by the recipient to any other person or body unless it is supplied for the purposes of any civil or criminal proceedings relating to this Act; and

(b)shall not be supplied in those circumstances without the authorisation of the Secretary of State.

(6)This section does not limit the circumstances in which information may be supplied or used apart from this section.

(7)Subsection (2) above does not affect the title or rights of—

(a)any person whose property the information was immediately before it was obtained as mentioned in subsection (1) above; or

(b)any person claiming title or rights through or under such a person otherwise than by virtue of any power conferred by or under this Act.

(8)In this section “relevant authority” means any Minister of the Crown who, or government department or other body which, is party to arrangements made with the Secretary of State which are in force under section 13(1)(b) above.

16Information obtained by agricultural wages officers

(1)This section applies to information which has been obtained by an officer acting for the purposes of any of the agricultural wages legislation.

(2)Information to which this section applies may, with the authorisation of the relevant authority, be supplied to the Secretary of State for use for any purpose relating to this Act.

(3)Information supplied under subsection (2) above may be supplied by the recipient to any Minister of the Crown, government department or other body if—

(a)arrangements made between the recipient and that Minister, department or body under section 13(1)(b) above are in force; and

(b)the information is supplied for any purpose relating to this Act.

(4)Except as provided by subsection (3) above, information supplied under subsection (2) or (3) above—

(a)shall not be supplied by the recipient to any other person or body unless it is supplied for the purposes of any civil or criminal proceedings relating to this Act; and

(b)shall not be supplied in those circumstances without the authorisation of the relevant authority.

(5)This section does not limit the circumstances in which information may be supplied or used apart from this section.

(6)In this section—

• “the agricultural wages legislation” means—

  (a)

  the [1948 c. 47.] Agricultural Wages Act 1948;

  (b)

  the [1949 c. 30.] Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Act 1949; and

  (c)

  the [S.I. 1977/2151 (N.I.22).] Agricultural Wages (Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 1977;

• “relevant authority” means—

  (a)

  in relation to information obtained by an officer acting in England, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food;

  (b)

  in relation to information obtained by an officer acting in Wales, the Minister of the Crown with the function of appointing officers under section 12 of the [1948 c. 47.] Agricultural Wages Act 1948 in relation to Wales;

  (c)

  in relation to information obtained by an officer acting in an area which is partly in England and partly in Wales, the Ministers mentioned in paragraphs (a) and (b) above acting jointly;

  (d)

  in relation to information obtained by an officer acting in Scotland, the Minister of the Crown with the function of appointing officers under section 12 of the [1949 c. 30.] Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Act 1949; and

  (e)

  in relation to information obtained by an officer acting in Northern Ireland, the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland.