Without prejudice to any other provision of this Act, the Minister or the Secretary of State may hold inquiries for the purposes of this Act:
Provided that this section does not apply to any matter which under sections thirty to thirty-four of this Act falls to be considered by the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee.
(1)Where under any of the provisions of this Act an inquiry is held by the Minister or the Secretary of State,—
(a)notice of the inquiry may be given and published in accordance with such general or special directions as the appropriate Minister may give ;
(b)the appropriate Minister and, if authorised by him, the person appointed to hold the inquiry, may by order require any person, subject to the payment or tender of the reasonable expenses of his attendance, to attend as a witness and give evidence or to produce any documents in his possession or power which relate to any matter in question at the inquiry, and are such as would be subject to production in a court of law;
(c)the person holding the inquiry shall have power to take evidence on oath and for that purpose to administer oaths;
(d)the appropriate Minister may make such order as to the payment of the costs incurred by him in connection with the inquiry (including such reasonable sum not exceeding five guineas a day as he may determine for the services of any officer engaged in the inquiry) by such party to the inquiry as he thinks fit, and may certify the amount of the costs so incurred, and any amount so certified and directed by the appropriate Minister to be paid by any person shall be recoverable from that person, and shall be so recoverable, in England or Wales, either as a debt due to the Crown or by the Minister summarily as a civil debt, and in Scotland by the Secretary of State.
(2)If a person fails without reasonable excuse to comply with any of the provisions of an order under paragraph (h) of the foregoing subsection, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five pounds.