Article 6 Confidential information
Where the Treasury propose (in accordance with article 5(1)(a)(ii)) to inform only certain persons of a direction, they may specify in the direction that information contained in it is to be treated as confidential.
A person who obtains information which is to be treated as confidential in accordance with paragraph (1), or to whom such information is provided, must not disclose it except with lawful authority.
Confidential information is disclosed with lawful authority only if and to the extent that any of the following applies—
the disclosure is by the Treasury;
the disclosure is with the consent of the person who is the subject of the information;
the disclosure is to (and is necessary to) give effect to a requirement under this Order;
the disclosure is required, under rules of court or a court order, for the purposes of legal proceedings of any description.
This article does not prevent the disclosure of information which is already, or has previously been, available to the public from other sources.
A person who contravenes the prohibition in paragraph (2) is guilty of an offence.
In proceedings for an offence under this article, it is a defence for a person to show that he did not know and had no reasonable cause to suspect that he was disclosing confidential information.
The High Court or, in Scotland, the Court of Session may grant an injunction to prevent a breach of paragraph (2) in relation to any information upon the application of—
the person who is the subject of the information, or
the Treasury.