240.—(1) For the purpose of enabling a council or the Department to make an order or issue or serve a notice or other document which by any of the provisions of this Act a council or the Department is authorised or required to make, issue or serve, the council or the Department may by notice in writing require the occupier of any premises and any person who, either directly or indirectly, receives rent in respect of any premises to give, in writing, within 21 days after the date on which the notice is served, or such longer time as may be specified in the notice or as the council or, as the case may be, the Department may allow, such information as to the matters mentioned in subsection (2) as may be specified.
(2) The matters referred to in subsection (1) are—
(a)the nature of the estate in the premises of the person on whom the notice is served;
(b)the name and postal address of any other person known to that person as having an estate in the premises;
(c)the purpose for which the premises are being used;
(d)the time when that use began;
(e)the name and postal address of any person known to the person on whom the notice is served as having used the premises for that purpose; and
(f)the time when any activities being carried out on the premises began.
(3) Any person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with a notice served on that person under subsection (1), shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.
(4) Any person who having been required by a notice under subsection (1) to give any information knowingly makes any misstatement in respect of that information shall be guilty of an offence and liable—
(a)on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum;
(b)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or a fine, or both.