Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018

F1 Investigations S

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 84A: s. 75 and cross-heading renumbered as s. 84A and cross-heading (11.11.2020) by Social Security Administration and Tribunal Membership (Scotland) Act 2020 (asp 18), ss. 5(4), 18(1) (with s. 6)

[F1 84A] Power to make provision about investigations S

(1) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations make provision about the investigation of offences under this Act [F2 or regulations under section 79].

(2) Regulations under subsection (1) may, in particular—

(a) confer powers to—

(i) enter and search premises (other than dwelling-houses), and

(ii) seize anything relevant to the investigation which is found on the premises,

(b) create offences relating to—

(i) a failure to provide information requested for the purposes of an investigation,

(ii) obstruction of the conduct of an investigation,

(iii) any breach of the regulations,

(c) make provision about the time limit for bringing proceedings.

(3) The maximum penalty that may be provided for in regulations under subsection (1) is, on summary conviction, a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

Textual Amendments

F2 Words in s. 84A(1) inserted (11.11.2020) by Social Security Administration and Tribunal Membership (Scotland) Act 2020 (asp 18), ss. 5(6), 18(1) (with s. 6)

Commencement Information

I1 S. 75 (now renumbered as s. 84A) in force at 22.10.2018 by S.S.I. 2018/298, reg. 2(1)(m) (with reg. 3) (as amended (10.12.2019) by S.S.I. 2019/406, regs. 1, 2(2))

[F3 84B] Code of practice on investigations S

(1) The Scottish Ministers must publish a code of practice on investigations carried out by virtue of section [F4 84A].

(2) The Scottish Ministers—

(a) must keep the code of practice under review,

(b) may from time to time revise the code of practice.

(3) Before publishing the code of practice, the Scottish Ministers must consult publicly on a draft of the code.

(4) The Scottish Ministers must, as soon as practicable after publication, lay before the Scottish Parliament a copy of the code of practice.

(5) A court or tribunal in civil or criminal proceedings must take the code of practice into account when determining any question to which the code is relevant.

(6) Breach of the code of practice does not of itself give rise to grounds for any legal action.

(7) Subsections (2) to (6) apply in relation to a revised code of practice as they apply in relation to the first published code of practice.

Textual Amendments

F3 S. 84B: s. 76 renumbered as s. 84B (11.11.2020) by Social Security Administration and Tribunal Membership (Scotland) Act 2020 (asp 18), ss. 5(5), 18(1) (with s. 6)

F4 Word in s. 84B(1) substituted (11.11.2020) by Social Security Administration and Tribunal Membership (Scotland) Act 2020 (asp 18), ss. 5(7), 18(1) (with s. 6)

Commencement Information

I2 S. 76 (now renumbered as s. 84B) in force at 3.9.2018 for specified purposes by S.S.I. 2018/250, reg. 2(2) (with reg. 3)

I3 S. 76 (now renumbered as s. 84B) in force at 22.10.2018 in so far as not already in force by S.S.I. 2018/298, reg. 2(2) (with reg. 3) (as amended (10.12.2019) by S.S.I. 2019/406, regs. 1, 2(2))