(1)Any officer of the Ministry acting in the execution of this Act shall, without prejudice to any other provisions of this Act, have power—
Paras. (a)(b) rep. by SRO (NI) 1973/23
(c)to enter, at all reasonable times, any premises registered under section ten and to examine and take, for the purpose of examination, samples of eggs found on such premises;
(d)to examine eggs at any place at which they are offered for sale, or at which the officer has reason to believe that they are offered for sale, to take samples of those eggs and to remove eggs for examination from any such place;
Para. (e) rep. by SRO (NI) 1973/23
(f)to take stock and inspect any records kept at any premises entered by him under this section.
(2)If the Ministry has reason to believe that …F1 the preserving, cold-storage, chemical-storage or pickling of eggs, or the preparation of liquid egg, by way of trade or for purposes of gain is carried on upon any premises not registered for that purpose under section ten, the Ministry may specially authorise any of its officers to enter the premises, and in such case the officer shall on production on demand of his special authority have the like powers of entry, inspection or taking samples as if the premises were registered …F1 under section ten.
(3)An officer of the Ministry, if authorised by the Ministry in that behalf and on production on demand of his authority, may at any time during the hours when the premises are open for business enter any premises, if he has reasonable ground to believe that eggs are kept in cold-storage or chemical-storage or that liquid egg is prepared therein, or that the provisions ofF2... section thirteen are being contravened, and may search for and inspect and take for the purpose of examination samples of eggs in the premises, and may require any person whom he finds in or about the premises to give such information as may reasonably be demanded of him by the officer for the purpose of enabling him to carry out his duties under this Act, and a person shall not wilfully withhold any information which such officer is empowered to require of him.
Subs. (4) rep. by SRO (NI) 1973/23