A local authority may by notice require the occupier of any premises in its area to furnish, whether by periodical returns or by other means, such estimates or other information as may be specified or described in the notice concerning the emission of pollutants and other substances into the air from the premises.

This section shall not apply to premises in so far as they consist of a private dwelling.

If the notice relates to a F2process subject to Part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 F3or aF3work subject to the Alkali Act, the person on whom the notice is served shall not be obliged to supply any information which, as certified by an inspector appointed under that Act, is not of a kind which is being supplied to the inspector for the purposes of that Act.

The person on whom a notice is served under this section shall comply with the notice within six weeks of the date of service, or within such longer period as the local authority may by notice allow.

A notice under this section shall not require returns at intervals of less than three months, and no one notice (whether or not requiring periodical returns) shall call for information covering a period of more than twelve months.

Except so far as regulations provide otherwise, this section shall apply to premises used for, and to persons in, the public service of the Crown as it applies to other premises and persons; but a local authority shall not be entitled by virtue of this subsection to exercise, in relation to premises used for and persons in that service, any power conferred on the authority by virtue of sections 91 to 93 of this Act.

Where a person is convicted of an offence under the preceding subsection in respect of any premises and information of any kind, nothing in subsection (3) of the preceding section shall prevent a local authority from exercising the power of entry there mentioned for the purpose of obtaining information of that kind in respect of the premises.