Section 7 – Powers to enter and require identification
26.Subsection (1) empowers an officer of a council to enter no-smoking premises in order to check whether an offence under sections 1, 2 or 3 has taken place or is being committed. The council which authorises the officer under this subsection will be the council in the area where the premises are situated. Officers of the council will, in general terms, have access to premises to which the public has access; this additional power is therefore a back-up power.
27.A council officer exercising a power of entry under subsection (1), may use force to gain entry if necessary under subsection (2) and may, under subsection (1) search the premises.
28.An offence is committed under subsection (3) if a person who an authorised officer of a council reasonably believes is committing or has committed an offence under sections 1, 2 or 3, or has information relating to the offence fails without reasonable excuse to give their name and address when requested to do so by the enforcing officer. The penalty for a person guilty of an offence under this subsection is on summary conviction a fine not exceeding level 3.