Unsuitable supplementary feeding methods
8.—(1) Where, in any scheme year, the applicant uses unsuitable supplementary feeding methods, the Department may—
(a)in accordance with paragraph (2), reduce or withhold the amount of beef special premium otherwise payable to him; or
(b)where such premium has already been paid to him, recover any premium so paid,
in respect of that scheme year.
(2) Where the applicant was not penalised for using unsuitable supplementary feeding methods under paragraph (1) nor under any of the provisions specified in paragraph (3) in the preceding scheme year, the amount of premium payable to him may be reduced by 10 per cent; where the applicant was so penalised in the preceding scheme year, but not in the scheme year before that, that amount may be reduced by 20 per cent; and where the applicant was so penalised in each of the two preceding scheme years that amount may be withheld.
(3) The provisions referred to in paragraph (2) are—
(a)regulation 11 of the Beef Special Premium (Protection of Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996;
(b)regulation 3B of the Suckler Cow Premium Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993;
(c)regulation 6 of the Suckler Cow Premium Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001;
(d)regulation 9 of the Slaughter Premium Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001;
(e)regulation 3B of the Sheep Annual Premium (Northern Ireland) Regulations 1992; and
(f)regulation 8(3) of the Hill Livestock (Compensatory Allowances) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999.