The Gas (Northern Ireland) Order 1996

Power to require information, etc.

30.—(1) Where it appears to the Director that a licence holder may be contravening, or may have contravened, any relevant condition, the Director may, for any purpose connected with such of his functions under Article 19 as are exercisable in relation to that matter, by notice signed by him—

(a) require the person on whom it is served to produce, at a time and place specified in the notice, to the Director or to any person appointed by the Director for the purpose, any documents which are specified or described in the notice and are in that person’s custody or under his control; or

(b) require that person, if he is carrying on a business, to furnish, at a time and place and in the form and manner specified in the notice, to the Director such information as may be specified or described in the notice.

(2) Where a licence has been or is to be revoked, or has expired or is about to expire by effluxion of time, and it appears to the Director, having regard to the duties imposed by Article 5, to be requisite or expedient to do so for any purpose connected with the revocation or expiry, the Director may, with the consent of the Department, by notice signed by him—

(a) require the licence holder to produce, at a time and place specified in the notice, to the Director, or to any person so specified, any records which are specified or described in the notice and are in the licence holder’s custody or under his control; or

(b) require the licence holder to furnish to the Director, or to any person specified in the notice, such information as may be specified or described in the notice, and specify the time, the manner and the form in which any such information is to be furnished.

(3) No person shall be required under this Article to produce any documents or records which he could not be compelled to produce in civil proceedings in the High Court or, in complying with any requirement for the furnishing of information, to give any information which he could not be compelled to give in evidence in any such proceedings.

(4) A person who without reasonable excuse fails to do anything required of him by notice under paragraph (1) or (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

(5) A person who intentionally alters, suppresses or destroys any document or records which he has been required by any notice under paragraph (1) or (2) to produce shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum;

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine.

(6) If a person makes default in complying with a notice under paragraph (1) or (2), the High Court may, on the application of the Director, make such order as the Court thinks fit for requiring the default to be made good; and any such order may provide that all the costs of and incidental to the application shall be borne by the person in default or by any officers of a company or other body or association who are responsible for its default.