The Fishing Vessel (Decommissioning) Scheme (Northern Ireland) 2003

Powers of authorised officers

14.—(1) An authorised officer at all reasonable hours and on producing, if required to do so, some duly authenticated document showing the authority of the officer, may exercise the powers specified in this paragraph for the purpose of ascertaining whether and to what extent –

(a) a person is entitled under Article 3 to make the application;

(b) the application should be selected under Article 5 for approval;

(c) Articles 8 to 10 and 13, any relevant conditions and any undertakings given by the applicant or a third party in pursuance of this Scheme have been complied with;

(d) the decommissioning of the vessel is being, or has been, carried out;

(e) any amount of grant is recoverable in accordance with Article 15;

(f) an offence under Article 17(4) of the Agriculture and Fisheries (Financial Assistance) (Northern Ireland) Order 1987 has been or is being committed.

(2) Subject to sub-paragraph (3), an authorised officer may enter upon any premises which are, or which such officer has reasonable cause to believe are, relevant premises.

(3) The power conferred by sub-paragraph (2) may be exercised in relation to premises used as a dwelling house only where reasonable notice of the intended exercise of the power has been given to all residents of that dwelling house.

(4) Any authorised officer who has entered any premises in accordance with paragraph (2) may inspect those premises, and any documents on those premises which are or which such officer has reasonable cause to believe are, relevant documents.

(5) An authorised officer entering premises by virtue of this paragraph may be accompanied by such other person as the officer considers necessary and sub-paragraphs (2), (4), (6) and (7) and Article 13 shall apply in relation to such other person when acting under the instructions of the officer as if they were authorised officers.

(6) An authorised officer may –

(a) require any applicant or an employee or agent of the applicant to produce any relevant documents and to supply such additional information in possession of the person or under their control relating to an application as the officer may reasonably request;

(b) inspect any such documents and, where any such documents are kept by means of a computer, have access to, and inspect and check the operation of, any computer and any associated apparatus or material which is or has been used in connection with those documents;

(c) require that copies of, or extracts from, any relevant documents be produced; or

(d) remove and retain for a reasonable period any such relevant document which the officer has reason to believe may be required as evidence of proceedings under this Scheme or which the Department may be required to make available to the Commission pursuant to Article 38(6) of Council Regulation 1260/99 and, where any such document is kept by means of computer, require it to be produced in a form in which it may be taken away and in which it is visible and legible.

(7) In this Scheme –

“premises” includes any vessel or other vehicle; and

“relevant documents” means any documents relating to a vessel in respect of which an application has been made;

“relevant premises” means the vessel in respect of which an application has been made and any premises in which relevant documents are retained or in which an authorised officer has reasonable grounds to believe such documents may be retained.