OpenLegislation

Section 115 Disclosure of information.I1C1C2C3C4C5C6

England, Wales and Scotland

(1)

Any person who, apart from this subsection, would not have power to disclose information—

(a)

to a relevant authority; or

(b)

to a person acting on behalf of such an authority,

shall have power to do so in any case where the disclosure is necessary or expedient for the purposes of any provision of this Act.

C7C8(2)

In F1this section “relevant authority” means—

(a)

the chief officer of police for a police area in England and Wales;

F2(b)

the chief constable of the Police Service of Scotland;

(c)

a F3local policing body within the meaning given by section 101(1) of the M1Police Act 1996;

F4(ca)

a combined authority established under section 103 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009;

(cb)

a combined county authority established under section 9(1) of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023;

(d)

a local authority, that is to say—

(i)

in relation to England, a county council, a district council, a London borough council F5, a parish council or the Common Council of the City of London;

(ii)

in relation to Wales, a county council F6, a county borough council or a community council;

(iii)

in relation to Scotland, a council constituted under section 2 of the M2Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994;

F7(dza)

a non-profit registered provider of social housing;

F8(da)

a person registered under section 1 of the Housing Act 1996 as a social landlord;

(e)

a F9local probation board in England and Wales;

F10(F11ea)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F12(eb)

probation trust

(ec)

a provider of probation services (other than a probation trust or the Secretary of State), in carrying out its statutory functions or activities of a public nature in pursuance of arrangements made under section 3(2) of the Offender Management Act 2007

(f)

a F13Local Health Board;

F14(fa)

F15NHS England;

(F16fb)

an integrated care board;

F17(g)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(F18F19h)

the London Fire Commissioner;

(i)

a fire and rescue authority constituted by a scheme under section 2 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 or a scheme to which section 4 of that Act applies;

(F20ia)

a fire and rescue authority created by an order under section 4A of that Act;

(j)

a metropolitan county fire and rescue authority.

F21(3)

The appropriate national authority may by order amend this section so far as it extends to England and Wales by—

(a)

adding an entry for any person or body to the list of authorities in subsection (2),

(b)

altering or repealing any entry for the time being included in the list, or

(c)

adding, altering or repealing provisions for the interpretation of entries in the list.

(4)

In subsection (3) “the appropriate national authority” has the same meaning as in section 5.

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1

Words in s. 115(2) substituted (1.8.2007 for E. and 19.11.2007 for W.) by Police and Justice Act 2006 (c. 48), ss. 22, 53(1)(a)(5), Sch. 9 para. 7(2); S.I. 2007/1614, art 3(b); S.I. 2007/3251, art. 2

F2

S. 115(2)(b) substituted (1.4.2013) by The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 (Consequential Provisions and Modifications) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/602), art. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 30

F3

Words in s. 115(2)(c) substituted (16.1.2012) by Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c. 13), ss. 99, 157(1), Sch. 16 para. 238; S.I. 2011/3019, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. (nnn)(iii)

F4

S. 115(2)(ca)(cb) inserted (29.4.2026) by English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (c. 23), ss. 50, 108(1)(3) (with s. 102)

F5

Words in s. 115(2)(d)(i) inserted (1.10.2002 for E. and 1.4.2003 for W.) by Police Reform Act 2002 (c. 30), ss. 97(14)(a), 108(2)(4); S.I. 2002/2306, art. 2(f)(viii); S.I. 2003/525, art. 2

F6

Words in s. 115(2)(d)(ii) substituted (1.10.2002 for E. and 1.4.2003 for W.) by Police Reform Act 2002 (c. 30), ss. 97(14)(b), 108(2)(4); S.I. 2002/2306, art. 2(f)(viii); S.I. 2003/525, art. 2

F7

S. 115(2)(dza) inserted (1.4.2010) by The Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (Consequential Provisions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/866), art. 5, Sch. 2 para. 111

F8

S. 115(2)(da) inserted (E.W.) (18.1.2005) by Housing Act 2004 (c. 34), ss. 219, 270(3)(a)

F9

Words in s. 115(2)(e) substituted (1.4.2001) by 2000 c. 43, s. 74, Sch. 7 Pt. II para. 151; S.I. 2001/919, art. 2(f)(ii)

F10

S. 115(2)(ea) omitted (1.4.2013) by virtue of Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), s. 306(4), Sch. 5 para. 90(a); S.I. 2013/160, art. 2(2) (with arts. 7-9)

F11

S. 115(2)(ea) inserted (1.10.2002) by The National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002 (Supplementary, Consequential etc. Provisions) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2469), reg. 4, Sch. 1 Pt. 1 para. 25(6)

F12

S. 115(2)(eb)(ec) inserted (1.4.2008) by The Offender Management Act 2007 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/912), art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 13(7)

F13

Words in s. 115(2)(f) substituted (1.4.2007) by The References to Health Authorities Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/961), art. 3, Sch. para. 29(2)(f)

F14

S. 115(2)(fa)(fb) inserted (1.4.2013) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), s. 306(4), Sch. 5 para. 90(b); S.I. 2013/160, art. 2(2) (with arts. 7-9)

F15

Words in s. 115 substituted (1.7.2022) by Health and Care Act 2022 (c. 31), s. 186(6), Sch. 1 para. 1(1)(2); S.I. 2022/734, reg. 2(a), Sch. (with regs. 13, 29, 30)

F16

S. 115(2)(fb) substituted (1.7.2022) by Health and Care Act 2022 (c. 31), s. 186(6), Sch. 4 para. 57; S.I. 2022/734, reg. 2(a), Sch. (with regs. 13, 29, 30)

F17

S. 115(2)(g) omitted (1.4.2013) by virtue of Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), s. 306(4), Sch. 5 para. 90(c); S.I. 2013/160, art. 2(2) (with arts. 7-9)

F18

S. 115(2)(h) substituted (31.1.2017 for specified purposes, 1.4.2018 in so far as not already in force) by Policing and Crime Act 2017 (c. 3), s. 183(1)(5)(e), Sch. 2 para. 106; S.I. 2018/227, reg. 4(c)

F19

S. 115(2)(h)-(j) inserted (1.8.2007 for E. and 19.11.2007 for W.) by Police and Justice Act 2006 (c. 48), ss. 22, 53(1)(a)(5), Sch. 9 para. 7(2); S.I. 2007/1614, art 3(b); S.I. 2007/3251, art. 2

F20

S. 115(2)(ia) inserted (31.1.2017 for specified purposes, 3.4.2017 in so far as not already in force) by Policing and Crime Act 2017 (c. 3), s. 183(1)(5)(e), Sch. 1 para. 80; S.I. 2007/399, reg. 2, Sch. para. 38

F21

S. 115(3)(4) inserted (1.8.2007 for E. and 19.11.2007 for W.) by Police and Justice Act 2006 (c. 48), ss. 22, 53(1)(a), Sch. 9 para. 7(3); S.I. 2007/1614, art. 3(b); S.I. 2007/3073, art. 2(a)

Marginal citations

M1

1996 c.16.

M2

1994 c.39.

Modifications

C1

S. 115 modified (2.11.2018) by The Newcastle Upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland Combined Authority (Establishment and Functions) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/1133), arts. 1, 25(2) (with art. 28)

C2

S. 115 modified (20.12.2023) by The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority Order 2023 (S.I. 2023/1432), arts. 1(2), 24(2)

C3

S. 115 modified (5.2.2025) by The Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/117), regs. 1(2), 29(2)

C4

S. 115 modified (5.2.2025) by The Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/115), regs. 1(2), 17(2)

C5

S. 115 modified (5.2.2025) by The Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/113), arts. 1(2), 26(2)

C6

S. 115 modified (5.2.2025) by The Lancashire Combined County Authority Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/118), regs. 1(2), 19(2)

C7

S. 115(2) applied (with modifications) (8.5.2017) by The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (Fire and Rescue Functions) Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/469), art. 1(3), Sch. para. 4(3)

C8

S. 115(2) applied (with modifications) (20.12.2023) by The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority Order 2023 (S.I. 2023/1432), arts. 1(2), 46(2), Sch. 7 para. 4(3)

Commencement

I1

S. 115 wholly in force; S. 115 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 121; In force at 30.9.1998 by S.I. 1998/2327, art. 2(1) (subject to savings in arts. 5-8)