16Power of entry, inspection, etc.N.I.
(1)An authorised officer shall for the purposes of this Act have power—
(a)to enter, at all reasonable times, any premises registered under this Act, or in respect of which an application for registration under this Act has been made, or premises owned, occupied or used or which that officer has reason to believe are owned, occupied or used by any person…F1 for the slaughter of animals meat from which is, intended for sending [F2 out of Northern Ireland] [F3 or the preparation, treatment, storing, processing or packing of such meat]…F4; and
(b)to enter at all reasonable times any premises owned, occupied or used by a licensed bacon curer for the purposes of his business as a bacon curer and any premises owned, occupied or used or which that officer has reason to believe are owned, occupied or used by any person for producing, curing, processing, manufacturing, marketing or distributing pig products; and
(c)to inspect any animals, meat or pig products ([F5 and any] materials used in [F3 connection with the processing of meat or] the production of pig products) [F3, or any equipment,] found on any premises entered under paragraph ( a) or paragraph ( b), to take without payment, for the purpose of inspection, and to inspect [F3 or cause to be inspected or tested], reasonable samples of such meat or pig products [F3 or materials] and to grade or weigh any animals, meat or pig products so found; and
(d)to enter, at all reasonable times, the premises of any person engaged in the business of carrying goods for reward, any pier, quay, wharf, jetty, dock, dock premises or airport and any ship, boat, railway wagon, aircraft, motor lorry, cart or other vessel, vehicle or container used for the conveyance of goods and to inspect and to retain, remove or open for the purpose of inspection any packages or consignments found therein which contain, or which that officer has reason to suspect contain, meat or pig products.
(2)Where any package or consignment is inspected by an authorised officer under paragraph ( d) of sub-section (1), the package or consignment shall be marked or labelled by the officer to that effect and such mark or label shall be deemed to be a sufficient notification to the consignor and consignee that the package or consignment has been so inspected.
(3)Where an inspection under paragraph ( d) of sub-section (1) is made whilst the package or consignment is in transit and the Ministry or an authorised officer is satisfied that it does not conform to the requirements of this Act or regulations made thereunder, the Ministry or the officer may direct that the package or consignment shall be returned to the consignor at the place from which it was consigned or, if the Ministry or officer approves, at such place as the consignor may elect and thereupon the carrier or the consignor, as the case may require, shall, at the expense of the consignor, proceed to execute such direction with all reasonable speed.
(4)An authorised officer acting, in the exercise of the powers conferred by this section, on the premises of, or used by, any carrier shall conform to such reasonable requirements of such carrier as are necessary to prevent the working of the traffic thereat being obstructed or interfered with and a carrier shall not be liable for or on account of any loss or damage arising from the exercise by an authorised officer of the powers conferred by this section.
(5)Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorising anything to be done to the prejudice of any powers of a carrier to secure payment of freight charges in respect of any consignment carried by him.