Coal industry Act 1994

34 Power to require information for the purposes of enforcement

(1) Where it appears to the Authority—

(a) that there is or may have been a contravention of section 25(1) above, or

(b) that any person is contravening, or may have contravened, any condition of a licence under this Part,

the Authority may, for any purpose connected with such of its functions under section 31 above as are exercisable in relation to that matter, serve a notice under subsection (2) below on any person.

(2) A notice under this subsection is a notice which—

(a) requires the person on whom it is served to produce, at a time and place specified in the notice, to the Authority or to any person appointed by the Authority for the purpose, any documents which are specified or described in the notice and are in that person’s possession or under his control; or

(b) requires that person, if he is carrying on a business, to furnish the Authority, at a time and place and in the form and manner specified in the notice, with such information as may be specified or described in the notice.

(3) No person shall be required under this section to produce any documents which he could not be compelled to produce in civil proceedings in the court or, in complying with any requirement for the furnishing of information, to disclose any information which he could not be compelled to give in evidence in any such proceedings.

(4) A person who without reasonable excuse fails to do anything required of him by a notice under subsection (2) above shall be guilty of an offence and liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

(5) A person who intentionally alters, suppresses or destroys any document which he has been required by any notice under subsection (2) above to produce shall be guilty of an offence and liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum;

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine.

(6) If a person makes default in complying with a notice under subsection (2) above, the court may, on the application of the Authority, make such order as the court thinks fit for requiring the default to be made good; and any such order may provide that all the costs or expenses of and incidental to the application shall be borne by the person in default or by any officers of a company or other association who are responsible for its default.

(7) No proceedings shall be instituted in England and Wales in respect of an offence under this section except by or on behalf of the Authority or the Director of Public Prosecutions.