After section 50L of the Housing Act 1996 insert—

“50MEnforcement

(1)

A penalty is to be treated as a debt owed to the Welsh Ministers.

(2)

The Welsh Ministers may—

(a)

charge interest on a penalty not paid during the period specified under section 50I(2)(d);

(b)

impose one or more additional penalties where a penalty is not paid during that period.

(3)

Interest and additional penalty are to be treated as penalty (and may have the effect of increasing the penalty above a limit set by section 50J).

(4)

A penalty notice may include provision allowing a discount if the penalty is paid on or before a date specified in the notice (falling within the period specified under section 50I(2)(d)).

(5)

A person to whom a penalty notice is given on the ground in Case 5 of section 50H may not be prosecuted for the offence by reference to which the penalty notice was given.”