Powers of authorised persons
7.—(1) An authorised person may at all reasonable hours and on producing, if so required, some duly authenticated document showing his authority, exercise the powers specified in this regulation for the purposes of–
(a)carrying out any specified control measure,
(b)ascertaining whether an offence under regulation 12 has been or is being committed, or
(c)ensuring that compensatory allowances under these Regulations are paid in proper cases only.
(2) An authorised person may enter any land, other than land used only as a dwelling, which is, or which such person has reasonable cause to believe to be, occupied by an applicant or used by him for grazing a herd or flock to which an application for a compensatory allowance relates.
(3) An authorised person who has entered any land by virtue of this regulation may–
(a)inspect and verify the total area of that land, including forage area;
(b)inspect and count any animals on that land and read the ear–tags or other identification marks of any such animals;
(c)carry out any other activity which is a specified control measure; and
(d)inspect that land for the purposes of determining whether or not it has been overgrazed.
(4) An authorised person entering any land by virtue of this regulation may take with him such other persons acting under his instructions as he considers necessary.
(5) An authorised person may–
(a)require an applicant or any employee, servant or agent of an applicant to produce any document or other record in his possession or under his control relating to any animals kept or formerly kept by him, and to supply such additional information in that person’s possession or under his control relating to an application for a compensatory allowance as the authorised person may reasonably request;
(b)inspect any document or other record referred to in sub–paragraph (a) above and, where any such record is kept by means of a computer, have access to, and inspect and check the operation of, any computer and any associated apparatus or material which is or has been used in connection with that record;
(c)make such copies of any document or other record referred to in sub–paragraph (a) above as he may think fit; and
(d)seize and retain any document or other record referred to in sub–paragraph (a) above which he has reason to believe may be required as evidence in proceedings under these Regulations and, where any such record is kept by means of a computer, require it to be produced in a form in which it may be taken away.