The Spirit Drinks Regulations 1990

Title, extent and commencement

1.  These Regulations, which may be cited as the Spirit Drinks Regulations 1990, shall apply in England and Wales and shall come into force on 29th June 1990.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires–

“the Act” means the Food Act 1984;

“the Council Regulation” means Council Regulation (EEC) No 1576/89 laying down general rules on the definition, description and presentation of spirit drinks(1);

“the Minister” means, in relation to England, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and, in relation to Wales, the Secretary of State for Wales;

“specified Community provision” means a provision of the Council Regulation specified in column 1 of the Schedule to these Regulations, the subject matter of which is described in column 2 thereof.

(2) Other expressions used in these Regulations have, insofar as the context admits, the same meanings as in the Council Regulation.

Enforcement

3.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this regulation, each food and drugs authority shall secure the enforcement and execution of the specified Community provisions in so far as they relate to the retail sale of spirit drinks within its area.

(2) Each port health authority shall secure the enforcement and execution of the specified Community provisions in its district insofar as they relate to the importation and exportation of spirit drinks to or from the United Kingdom.

(3) The Minister shall secure the enforcement and execution of the specified Community provisions insofar as they relate to any matter not mentioned in paragraph (1) or (2) of this regulation.

Powers of authorised officers

4.—(1) An authorised officer of a council, having reasonable cause to suspect that an offence under regulation 5 of these Regulations has been or is being committed in respect of a specified Community provision which the council is required or empowered to enforce, may at all reasonable hours and on producing, if so required, some duly authenticated document showing his authority, require any person carrying on, or employed in connection with, a trade or business to produce any books or documents relating to that trade or business, and may take copies of any such book or document, or of any entry in any such book or document.

(2) An authorised officer of the Minister, having reasonable cause to suspect that an offence under regulation 5 of these Regulations has been or is being committed in respect of a specified Community provision which the Minister is required or empowered to enforce, shall have like powers of requiring the production of books or documents and of the taking of copies of books or documents as are exercisable under paragraph (1) above.

Offences and penalties

5.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2) below, if any person contravenes, or fails to comply with, any specified Community provision he shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or on conviction on indictment to a fine.

(2) Paragraph (1) above shall not apply in any case to which Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3773/89 laying down transitional measures relating to spirituous beverages(2) applies.

Application of various provisions of the Act

6.—(1) Without prejudice to the provisions of the Act which specifically apply in respect of regulations made thereunder and subject to paragraph (2) of this regulation, the following provisions of the Act shall apply for the purposes of enforcement and execution of the specified Community provisions as if references therein to proceedings, or a prosecution, under or taken or brought under the Act included references to proceedings, or a prosecution, as the case may be, taken or brought for an offence under these Regulations–

(a) section 95(5) and (6) (which relates to prosecutions);

(b) section 97(1) and (3) (which relates to evidence of analysis);

(c) section 99 (which relates to analysis by the Government Chemist);

(d) section 100 (which relates to a contravention due to another’s fault);

(e) section 102(2) (which relates to a warranty pleaded as a defence); and

(f) section 103 (which relates to offences as to warranties and certificates of analysis).

(2) Section 99 of the Act shall apply for the purposes of these Regulations as if the reference therein to section 95(6) of the Act included a reference to that subsection as applied by paragraph (1) of this regulation.

Repeal

7.  Section 3(3) of the Act is hereby repealed.

In witness whereof the Official Seal of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is hereunto affixed on 18th May 1990.

L.S.

John Selwyn Gummer

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Stephen Dorrell

Under Secretary of State for Health

4th June 1990

David Hunt

Secretary of State for Wales

21st May 1990