The Highland and Islands Agricultural Processing and Marketing Grants Etc. (Scotland) Regulations 2001

Powers of authorised persons

8.—(1) For the purposes set out in paragraph (2) below, an authorised person may at any reasonable time enter on any land–

(a) which is the subject of an investment or project in respect of which an application has been made under these Regulations; or

(b) which an authorised person has reasonable grounds to believe may be a place in which documents or other information which may require to be produced under these Regulations are kept.

(2) The purposes referred to in paragraph (1) above are–

(a) verifying the accuracy of any information contained in an application or a claim for payment under these Regulations or any other information provided by the applicant relating to the investment or project;

(b) ascertaining whether any grant is payable or recoverable under these Regulations, or the amount that is payable or recoverable; and

(c) ascertaining whether an offence under these Regulations has been or is being committed.

(3) An authorised person who has entered any land under paragraph (1) above–

(a) may inspect the land and any premises, plant, machi nery, equipment, livestock, document or record which that person reasonably believes relates to the grant or the investment or project;

(b) may require the applicant or any employee or agent of the applicant to produce, or secure the production of, any document or supply any additional information in the possession or under the control of that applicant relating to the grant or the investment or project;

(c) where any document or other record relating to the grant or investment or project is kept by means of a computer, shall be afforded access to any computer and any associated apparatus or material which is or has been used in connection with that document or record;

(d) may require copies of or extracts from any such documents or other record to be produced and may retain them and take them away;

(e) may remove and retain for a reasonable period any document or other record which that person reasonably believes may be required as evidence in any proceedings and, if it is recorded otherwise than in legible form, require it to be produced in a form in which it is legible or in which it can be taken away.

(4) An applicant or any employee or agent of the applicant shall give an authorised person all reasonable assistance in relation to the matters mentioned in paragraphs (1) and (3) above.

(5) An authorised person entering any land under paragraph (1) above may be accompanied by such other persons as considered necessary, and paragraphs (3) and (4) above shall apply to such persons when acting under the instructions of an authorised person as they apply to authorised persons.

(6) An authorised person shall not be liable in any proceedings for anything done in purported exercise of the powers conferred on an authorised person by these Regulations if the court hearing such proceedings is satisfied that–

(a) the act was done in good faith;

(b) there were reasonable grounds for doing it; and

(c) it was done with reasonable skill and care.

(7) Paragraph (1) above shall apply to any land used for the purposes of a dwelling house only where reasonable notice of its intended exercise has been given to all residents of that dwelling-house.

(8) An authorised person seeking admission to any land under this regulation shall, if so required, produce proof of appointment as an authorised person for these purposes.