Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976

15 Recovery of farm capital grants made by reference to false or misleading information

(1) With a view to enabling the appropriate Minister to recover payments made by way of grant by virtue of section 29 of the [1970 c. 40.] Agriculture Act 1970 if it appears to him that the person on whose application any such payment was made gave false or misleading information, section 29(4) of that Act shall be amended as follows—

(a) in paragraph (c) for the words " was made (hereafter in this subsection referred to as ' the applicant')" there shall be substituted the words " or for the making of any payment was made ", and after the words " the giving of the approval" there shall be inserted the words " or the making of the payment ";

(b) for the words " equal to that payment" there shall be substituted the words " equal to the payment which has been so made "; and

(c) for paragraphs (i) to (iii) there shall be substituted—

“(i) shall give to the person to whom any payment by way of grant would be payable, or from whom any such amount would be recoverable, a written notification of the reasons for the action proposed to be taken by the appropriate Minister ;

(ii) shall afford that person an opportunity of appearing before and being heard by a person appointed for the purpose by the appropriate Minister; and

(iii) shall consider the report by a person so appointed and supply a copy of the report to the person mentioned in paragraph (i) above.”.

(2) The preceding subsection shall not have effect as regards information given before the passing of this Act.