58.—(1) Save as otherwise provided by law and subject to subsection (3), a person shall not, without the consent of the Council, disclose confidential information obtained by him or her while carrying out, or as a result of having carried out, duties as—

(a) a member of the Council,

(b) an employee of the Council (including the Director),

(c) a member of a committee, or

(d) an adviser or consultant to the Council or a committee or an employee of such person.

(2) A person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £1,500.

(3) Nothing in subsection (1) shall prohibit the disclosure of information by means of a report made to the Council or, by or on behalf of the Council, to the Minister.

(4) In this section “confidential information” includes information that is expressed by the Council or a committee, as the case may be, to be confidential either as regards particular information or as regards information of a particular class or description.