(1)
The Commission may use protected information for communicating with the director in question.
(2)
The Commission may disclose protected information—
(a)
to a public authority specified for the purposes of this section by regulations made by the Minister ; or
(b)
to a credit reference agency.
(3)
The Minister may make provision by regulations—
(a)
specifying conditions for the disclosure of protected information in accordance with this section ; and
(b)
providing for the charging of fees.
(4)
The Minister may make provision by regulations requiring the Commission, on application, to refrain from disclosing protected information relating to a director to a credit reference agency.
(5)
Regulations under subsection (4) may make provision as to—
(a)
who may make an application ;
(b)
the grounds on which an application may be made ;
(c)
the information to be included in and documents to accompany an application ; and
(d)
how an application is to be determined.
(6)
Provision under subsection (5) (d) may in particular—
(a)
confer a discretion on the Commission ; and
(b)
provide for a question to be referred to a person other than the Commission for the purposes of determining the application.
(7)
In this section—
(a)
“credit reference agency” means a person carrying on a business comprising the furnishing of information relevant to the financial standing of individuals, being information collected by the agency for that purpose ; and
(b)
“public authority” includes any person or body having functions of a public nature.