3. Where an applicant applies to the Secretary of State for financial assistance under the CS scheme, the environmental land management pilot scheme, the farming investment fund scheme or the tree health pilot scheme, the Secretary of State must check the information provided by the applicant to ensure the applicant meets the eligibility criteria for the financial assistance scheme to which the applicant is applying.
4.—(1) The Secretary of State may require the applicant to provide additional information, including evidence, in support of their application.
(2) Where the Secretary of State has requested information or evidence under paragraph (1), the applicant must provide that information or evidence within any deadlines specified by the Secretary of State.
5. Where an applicant has submitted an incomplete application or the application contains an obvious error, the Secretary of State must notify the applicant of the defect and permit the applicant to correct the defect within any deadlines specified by the Secretary of State.
6.—(1) The Secretary of State must not give financial assistance under a financial assistance scheme if, having considered the information in an application, together with any supporting information or evidence required under regulation 4, the Secretary of State is satisfied that—
(a)the applicant has not met the eligibility criteria for receipt of financial assistance;
(b)the applicant has failed to provide information or evidence requested under regulation 4;
(c)the applicant has failed to correct a defect in accordance with regulation 5; or
(d)there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the applicant has provided false or misleading information.
(2) Where the Secretary of State decides not to give financial assistance under a financial assistance scheme, the Secretary of State must—
(a)notify the applicant, within a reasonable period, of that decision and the reasons for the decision; and
(b)inform the applicant of the right to request a reconsideration under regulation 30.