Health and Social Care Act 2008

25 E+W After section 30 of the 2000 Act insert—

“Penalty notices E+W

30ZA Penalty notices

(1) Where the Welsh Ministers are satisfied that a person has committed a fixed penalty offence, they may give the person a penalty notice in respect of the offence.

(2) A fixed penalty offence is any relevant offence which—

(a) relates to an establishment or agency for which the Welsh Ministers are the registration authority, and

(b) is prescribed for the purposes of this section.

(3) A relevant offence is—

(a) an offence under this Part or under regulations made under this Part, or

(b) an offence under regulations made under section 9 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002.

(4) A penalty notice is a notice offering the person the opportunity of discharging any liability to conviction for the offence to which the notice relates by payment of a penalty in accordance with the notice.

(5) Where a person is given a penalty notice, proceedings for the offence to which the notice relates may not be instituted before the end of such period as may be prescribed.

(6) Where a person is given a penalty notice, the person cannot be convicted of the offence to which the notice relates if the person pays the penalty in accordance with the notice.

(7) Penalties under this section are payable to the Welsh Ministers.

(8) In this section “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Welsh Ministers.

30ZB Penalty notices: supplementary provision

(1) The Welsh Ministers may by regulations make—

(a) provision as to the form and content of penalty notices,

(b) provision as to the monetary amount of the penalty and the time by which it is to be paid,

(c) provision determining the methods by which penalties may be paid,

(d) provision as to the records to be kept in relation to penalty notices,

(e) provision for or in connection with the withdrawal, in prescribed circumstances, of a penalty notice, including—

(i) repayment of any amount paid by way of penalty under a penalty notice which is withdrawn, and

(ii) prohibition of the institution or continuation of proceedings for the offence to which the withdrawn notice relates,

(f) provision for a certificate—

(i) purporting to be signed by or on behalf of a prescribed person, and

(ii) stating that payment of any amount paid by way of penalty was or, as the case may be, was not received on or before a date specified in the certificate,

to be received in evidence of the matters so stated,

(g) provision as to action to be taken if a penalty is not paid in accordance with a penalty notice, and

(h) such other provision in relation to penalties or penalty notices as the Welsh Ministers think necessary or expedient.

(2) Regulations under subsection (1)(b)—

(a) may make provision for penalties of different amounts to be payable in different cases, including provision for the penalty payable under a penalty notice to differ according to the time by which it is paid, but

(b) must secure that the amount of any penalty payable in respect of any offence does not exceed one half of the maximum amount of the fine to which a person committing the offence would be liable on summary conviction.

(3) In this section—

• “penalty” means a penalty under a penalty notice;

• “penalty notice” has the meaning given by section 30ZA(4).”

Commencement Information

I1 Sch. 5 para. 25 partly in force; Sch. 5 para. 25 in force for specified purposes at Royal Assent, see s. 170