The Agriculture (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2021

Action available to the Secretary of State following determination of a breach

24.—(1) Further to the determination made under regulation 23(2), the Secretary of State may take such of the following steps as the Secretary of State considers appropriate—

(a) issue a warning letter to the agreement holder;

(b) amend, remove or replace a condition subject to which financial assistance is given either temporarily or permanently;

(c) amend, remove or replace any agreed standards or timescales either temporarily or permanently;

(d) permit the agreement holder to rectify the breach;

(e) reduce the amount of financial assistance awarded in whole or in part;

(f) withhold the whole or any part of financial assistance payable under the financial assistance scheme to which the breach relates;

(g) withhold the whole or any part of financial assistance payable under any financial assistance scheme to which the agreement holder is entitled;

(h) recover on demand all or any part of financial assistance which has already been paid to the agreement holder;

(i) terminate the agreement for financial assistance; and

(j) prohibit the agreement holder from receiving financial assistance under any financial assistance scheme under section 1 of the 2020 Act, subject to regulation 29.

(2) The Secretary of State may take more than one step in any particular case.