Water Act 1989

33 Power to require information etc. for enforcement purposes

(1) Where it appears to the Secretary of State or the Director that a company which holds an appointment under this Chapter may be contravening, or may have contravened—

(a) any condition of its appointment; or

(b) any statutory or other requirement enforceable under section 20 above,

he may, for any purpose connected with such of his powers under sections 20 to 23 above as are exercisable in relation to that matter, serve a notice under subsection (2) below on any person.

(2) A notice under this subsection is a notice signed by the Secretary of State or the Director and—

(a) requiring the person on whom it is served to produce, at a time and place specified in the notice, to the Secretary of State or the Director or to any person appointed by the Secretary of State or the Director for the purpose, any documents which are specified or described in the notice and are in that person’s custody or under his control; or

(b) requiring that person, if he is carrying on a business, to furnish, at the time and place and in the form and manner specified in the notice, the Secretary of State or the Director with such information as may be specified or described in the notice.

(3) No person shall be required under this section to produce any documents which he could not be compelled to produce in civil proceedings in the High Court or, in complying with any requirement for the furnishing of information, to give any information which he could not be compelled to give in evidence in any such proceedings.

(4) A person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to do anything required of him by a notice under subsection (2) above shall be guilty of an offence and liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

(5) A person who intentionally alters, suppresses or destroys any document which he has been required by any notice under subsection (2) above to produce shall be guilty of an offence and liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum;

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine.

(6) If a person makes default in complying with a notice under subsection (2) above, the High Court may, on the application of the Secretary of State or the Director, make such order as the Court thinks fit for requiring the default to be made good; and any such order may provide that all the costs or expenses of and incidental to the application shall be borne by the person in default or by any officers of a company or other association who are responsible for its default.

(7) Nothing in this section shall be construed as restricting any power of the Secretary of State or the Director under section 32 above or the conditions of an appointment under this Chapter to require a company holding such an appointment to produce any document to him or to furnish him with any information.