623.This section makes provision, together with Schedule 19, for the protection of information obtained by the DGFT and the Commission under their powers of competition scrutiny under the Act.  It applies to information obtained under all of the various competition scrutiny provisions in the Act, that is to say the provisions covering the competent authority for listing in Part VI, the Authority in Part X, and the recognised investment exchanges and clearing houses in Part XVIII.
624.Subsection (1) provides that it is an offence improperly to disclose “competition information”.  “Competition information” is defined in subsection (5) as information about the affairs of a particular individual or body, which is not in the public domain, and which was obtained under powers in a competition provision of the Act.
625.Subsection (2) sets out the circumstances in which disclosure will not be regarded as improper, and which is therefore permissible.  These circumstances basically fall into two classes.  First, where the person to whom the information relates, and if different the person from whom it is obtained, have given their consent to disclosure.  Second, when this would serve one of a number of defined public purposes.  These purposes include the fulfilment of the UK’s obligations under EC law, the investigation and prosecution of crime, civil proceedings under the competition provisions of the Act, and finally the disclosure of information to a number of bodies having various statutory functions, to assist them in carrying out these functions.  The bodies and the statutes concerned are listed in Schedule 19.
Commentary on Sections Part Xxiii: Public Record, Disclosure of Information and Co-Operation Section 350: Competition information