Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999

5 Powers of inspection for securing compliance with section 3 and corresponding Northern Ireland legislation

(1) An inspector may, for the purposes of investigating whether an employer is complying, or has complied, with the requirements under section 3 or corresponding Northern Ireland legislation, at any reasonable time enter premises liable to inspection and, while there—

(a) may make such examination and inquiry as may be necessary for such purposes,

(b) may require any person on the premises to produce, or secure the production of, any document relevant to compliance with those requirements for his inspection, and

(c) may, as to any matter relevant to compliance with those requirements, examine, or require to be examined, either alone or in the presence of another person, any person on the premises whom he has reasonable cause to believe to be able to give information relevant to that matter.

(2) Premises are liable to inspection for the purposes of this section if the inspector has reasonable grounds to believe that—

(a) employees of the employer are employed there,

(b) documents relevant to the administration of the employer’s business are being kept there, or

(c) the administration of the employer’s business, or work connected with that administration, is being carried out there,

unless the premises are a private dwelling-house not used by, or by permission of, the occupier for the purposes of a trade or business.

(3) An inspector applying for admission to any premises for the purposes of this section must, if so required, produce his certificate of appointment.

(4) In this section “inspector” means a person appointed by the Authority as an inspector.