Late claims
12.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), if a claimant lodges a claim for compensatory allowances in respect of the Scheme Year later than the relevant closing date, the amount otherwise payable to him shall be reduced by one per cent for every working day later than that date his claim is lodged.
(2) If a claim is lodged more than 25 days (whether or not working days) later than the relevant closing date, no compensatory allowances shall be paid to the claimant pursuant to that claim.
(3) Paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not apply if and to the extent that a claim is lodged later than the relevant closing date by reason of force majeure.
(4) In this regulation—
(a)“the relevant closing date” means 20th December 1999 in the case of a claim for compensatory allowances for breeding cows and 19th January 2000 in the case of a claim for compensatory allowances for ewes;
(b)“working day” means a day which is not a Saturday, a Sunday, a common law holiday in Northern Ireland, or a bank holiday in Northern Ireland under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971(1);
(c)“force majeure” means abnormal and unforeseeable circumstances outside the control of the claimant, the consequences of which could not have been avoided by the exercise of all due care by the claimant.