PART I CONTAMINATION OF FOOD

Emergency orders etc.

2 Powers of Ministers when emergency order has been made.

(1)

F1A designating authorityF2or the Food Standards Agency may consent, either unconditionally or subject to any condition that F3the authority giving the consent considers appropriate, to the doing in a particular case of anything prohibited by an emergency order.

(2)

It shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under section 1(6) above to show—

(a)

that consent had been given under subsection (1) above to the contravention of the emergency prohibition ; and

(b)

that any condition subject to which that consent had been given was complied with.

(3)

F1A designating authorityF4or the Food Standards Agency—

(a)

may give any person such directions as appear to F5the authority giving the directions to be necessary or expedient for the purpose of preventing human consumption of food which F5the authority giving the directions believes, on reasonable grounds, is, or may be, or may become, unsuitable for human consumption in consequence of F6designated circumstances; and

(b)

may do anything which appears to F1 the designating authorityF7or the Agency (as the case may be)to be necessary or expedient for that purpose ;

and such directions may be given and such action may be taken after the emergency order has ceased to be in force.

(4)

Any person who—

(a)

fails to comply with a direction under this section ; or

(b)

causes or permits any other person to do so,

shall be guilty of an offence.

(5)

If F1a designating authorityF8or the Food Standards Agencydoes anything by virtue of this section in consequence of a failure on the part of any person to comply with such a direction, F9the authority taking that action may recover from that person any expenses reasonably incurred by F10that authority under this section.

(6)

If F1a designating authorityor the Food Standards Agencydoes anything by virtue of this section in consequence of any person causing or permitting another person to fail to comply with such a direction, F9the authority taking that action may recover from the person who caused or permitted the failure to comply any expenses reasonably incurred by F10that authority under this section.

F11(7)

In the application of this section to Scotland, the references to the Food Standards Agency are to be ignored.