The Statistics of Trade and Employment (Northern Ireland) Order 1988

Offences N.I.

8.—(1) Any person required to furnish estimates, returns, particulars or information under this Order who fails to furnish those estimates, returns, or particulars, or that information shall, unless he proves that he had reasonable excuse for such failure, be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

(2) Where the failure in respect of which a person is convicted under paragraph (1) is continued after the conviction, he shall be guilty of a further offence under that paragraph.

(3) Any person who in purported compliance with a requirement to furnish estimates, returns, particulars or information under this Order knowingly or recklessly makes a statement in those returns, estimates or particulars, or in giving that information, which is false in a material particular shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

(4) Any person who discloses any individual estimate or return or any information contrary to the provisions of Article 7 or of any order under that Article shall be guilty of an offence.

(5) Any person to whom an individual estimate or return or any information relating to an individual undertaking is disclosed under Article 7(1)(a) or (4) who uses that estimate, return or information—

(a) for any purpose other than the purpose for which it was disclosed to him; or

(b) in contravention of any directions which were—

(i) given under Article 7(1)(a) in connection with the disclosure of that estimate, return or information; and

(ii) notified to him in writing,

shall be guilty of an offence.

(6) A person guilty of an offence under paragraph (4) or (5) shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both;

(b) on conviction or indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine, or to both.