Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

35 Procedure

(1) If the Secretary of State decides that a person (“P”) is liable to one or more penalties under section 32, he must notify P of his decision.

(2) A notice under subsection (1) (a “penalty notice”) must—

(a) state the Secretary of State’s reasons for deciding that P is liable to the penalty (or penalties);

(b) state the amount of the penalty (or penalties) to which P is liable;

(c) specify the date before which, and the manner in which, the penalty (or penalties) must be paid; and

(d) include an explanation of the steps—

(i) that P must take if he objects to the penalty;

(ii) that the Secretary of State may take under this Part to recover any unpaid penalty.

(3) Subsection (4) applies if more than one person is responsible for a clandestine entrant.

(4) If a penalty notice is served on one of the responsible persons, the Secretary of State is to be taken to have served the required penalty notice on each of them.

(5) The Secretary of State must nevertheless take reasonable steps, while the penalty remains unpaid, to secure that the penalty notice is actually served on each of those responsible persons.

(6) If a person on whom a penalty notice is served, or who is treated as having had a penalty notice served on him, alleges that he is not liable for one or more, or all, of the penalties specified in the penalty notice, he may give written notice of his allegation to the Secretary of State.

(7) Notice under subsection (6) (“a notice of objection”) must—

(a) give reasons for the allegation; and

(b) be given before the end of such period as may be prescribed.

(8) If a notice of objection is given before the end of the prescribed period, the Secretary of State must consider it and determine whether or not any penalty to which it relates is payable.

(9) The Secretary of State may by regulations provide, in relation to detached trailers, for a penalty notice which is served in such manner as may be prescribed to have effect as a penalty notice properly served on the responsible person or persons concerned under this section.

(10) Any sum payable to the Secretary of State as a penalty under section 32 may be recovered by the Secretary of State as a debt due to him.