(1)A person shall not carry on the business of curing bacon unless he holds a licence (in this Act called “a curing licence”) for that purpose granted under this section, and any person who carries on or attempts to carry on the said business in contravention of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of an offence under this Act.
(2)Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Ministry shall have power to grant, revoke and suspend curing licences authorising the persons named therein to carry on the business of curing bacon.
(3)The Ministry shall, on application being made in the prescribed manner, and on payment of the fee specified in sub-section (4), grant to any person, upon such conditions as may be prescribed, a curing licence for the purpose aforesaid but may refuse to grant a curing licence to an applicant—
(a)who was formerly licensed under this section or under section four of the Agricultural Produce (Meat Regulation) Act (Northern Ireland), 1930 [1930 c.23] , but whose licence has been revoked or the renewal of whose licence the Ministry has refused; or
(b)where the Ministry is not satisfied that, regard being had to the supply of pigs available or likely to become available and to the facilities already existing and to the facilities at that time planned with the Ministry's approval to be provided for the curing of bacon, any additional facilities for such curing are needed.
(4)F1 The fee for the granting or renewal of a licence under this section shall be a sum of ten pounds payable upon the granting or renewal of the licence.
(5)The Ministry may refuse to renew a curing licence where it is satisfied that the holder thereof has not, at any time during the two years preceding the date of the application for the renewal, carried on the business of curing bacon.
F1Power to vary or abolish fee, 1968 c. 8 (NI)