23.—(1) A sample of seeds taken in connection with an application under regulation 6, 11 or 13 shall be drawn —
(a)by an authorised officer or a licensed seed sampler acting under the supervision of the authority who appointed him or her;
(b)in accordance with the method laid down in Schedule 5 of the Seed (Registration, Licensing and Enforcement) (England ) Regulations 2002(1); and
(c)from a homogeneous seed lot.
(2) Subject to paragraph (4), the maximum weight of a seed lot, other than a seed lot of a mixture of seeds to which regulation 22(1) or (2) applies, shall be that set out in column (2) of the table in Schedule 7.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4), the maximum weight of a seed lot of a mixture of seeds to which regulation 22(1) or (2) applies shall be 10 tonnes except that —
(a)where more than 50% of the mixture consists of a species of seed for which the maximum weight of a seed lot prescribed in seed regulations is 20 tonnes, the maximum weight of the seed lot shall be 20 tonnes; and
(b)where more than 50% of the mixture consists of a species of seed for which the maximum weight of a seed lot prescribed in seed regulations is 25 tonnes, the maximum weight of the seed lot shall be 25 tonnes.
(4) A seed lot may exceed the maximum weight for a seed lot required under paragraph (2) or (3) by not more than 5%.
(5) The minimum weight of a sample shall be that set out in column (3) of the table in Schedule 7.
(6) If a sample of seeds submitted or taken in connection with an application made under regulation 6, 11 or 13 —
(a)is found not to have been taken in accordance with paragraph (1);
(b)is taken from a seed lot that does not comply with paragraph (2) or (3); or
(c)does not comply with paragraph (5);
no further use of that sample shall be made under these Regulations, and any findings or results already obtained from testing seed taken from that sample, or from inspecting plants grown in a control plot that has been sown with seed from that sample, shall be disregarded.
S.I. 2002/3176 .