The Agriculture (Hardship Payment) Scheme (Northern Ireland) 2009

Powers of authorised officers

10.—(1) An authorised officer may, after giving the occupier or other person in charge of the premises reasonable notice of his intention and upon production, if so required, of his authority, enter any land or premises for the purposes of exercising powers specified under this Scheme.

(2) An authorised officer may—

(a) inspect any land specified by the eligible producer in his application;

(b) require an applicant or any employee, servant or agent of an applicant to provide any relevant record or documentation ,or extracts therefrom, and to supply such additional information as is in that person’s possession or under his control relating to an application under this Scheme.

(c) have access to, and inspect and copy any relevant records or documents (in whatever form they are held) or remove such records or documents to enable them to be copied;

(d) have access to, inspect and check the operation of, any computer and any associated apparatus which is or has been in use in connection with the relevant records or documents; and for this purpose may require any person having charge of, or otherwise concerned with the operation of, the computer, apparatus or material to afford him such assistance as he may reasonably require and, where a record is kept by means of a computer, may require the records to be produced in a form in which they may be taken away; and

(e) seize and retain any relevant record or document which he has reason to believe may be required as evidence in proceedings under this Scheme.