Finance Act 1996

7 Marked oil used as fuel for road vehicles. U.K.

(1) After section 24 of the M1 Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979 (control of use of duty free and rebated oil) there shall be inserted the following section—

“24A Penalties for misuse of marked oil.

(1) Marked oil shall not be used as fuel for a road vehicle.

(2) For the purposes of this section marked oil is any hydrocarbon oil in which a marker is present which is for the time being designated by regulations made by the Commissioners under subsection (3) below.

(3) The Commissioners may for the purposes of this section designate any marker which appears to them to be used for the purposes of the law of any place (whether within or outside the United Kingdom) for identifying hydrocarbon oil that is not to be used as fuel for road vehicles, or for road vehicles of a particular description.

(4) For the purposes of this section marked oil shall be taken to be used as fuel for a road vehicle if, but only if, it is used as fuel for the engine provided for propelling the vehicle or for an engine which draws its fuel from the same supply as that engine.

(5) Where a person uses any hydrocarbon oil in contravention of subsection (1) above, his use of the oil shall attract a penalty under section 9 of the Finance Act 1994 (civil penalties).

(6) If a person who uses any marked oil in contravention of subsection (1) above does so in the knowledge that the oil he is using is marked oil, he shall be guilty of an offence and liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a penalty of the statutory maximum, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or to both;

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a penalty of any amount, or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 7 years, or to both.

(7) Any marked oil which is in a road vehicle as part of the fuel supply for the engine which propels the vehicle shall be liable to forfeiture.

(8) Where in any proceedings relating to this section a question arises as to the nature of any substance present at any time in any hydrocarbon oil—

(a) a certificate of the Commissioners to the effect that that substance is or was a marker designated for the purposes of this section shall be sufficient, unless the contrary is shown, for establishing that fact; and

(b) any document purporting to be such a certificate shall be taken to be one unless it is shown not to be.”

(2) In section 24(1) of that Act (purposes for which regulations may be made), for “or section 19A above” there shall be inserted “ , section 19A or section 24A of this Act ”.

Marginal Citations

M1 1979 c. 5.