Any person who carries on business as a registration plate supplier in England or Wales without being registered by the Secretary of State shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

In this Part “registered” means registered in accordance with the provisions of this Part in a register established and maintained by the Secretary of State under section 18; and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly.

The Secretary of State shall establish and maintain a register of persons carrying on business as registration plate suppliers.

Each person’s entry in the register shall contain such particulars as may be prescribed.

The Secretary of State shall, subject to subsection (6) and such fee (if any) as may be prescribed, supply any person who has requested information contained in the register with the information that he has requested.

If the request is for information in the form of a copy (certified to be true) of the register or of an extract from it, the Secretary of State shall, subject to subsection (6) and such fee (if any) as may be prescribed, supply the information in that form.

Any such certified copy shall be evidence of the matters mentioned in it.

The Secretary of State may make all of the information contained in the register or information so contained of a particular description available to the Police Information Technology Organisation for use by constables for the purpose of investigating offences under this Part.

The Secretary of State may by regulations determine the circumstances in which any of the information to which constables have been given access under subsection (7) may be further disclosed by them.

The level of fees so prescribed may be set with a view to recovering the reasonable costs incurred by the Secretary of State in connection with the administration of this Part.

Where an order under section 20(1)(b) has effect in relation to a person who has been convicted of an offence under subsection (3), no application for registration shall be made by that person under subsection (1) in contravention of the order.

No application for registration shall be made under subsection (1) by a person while his registration is suspended by an order of a court under section 20(2).

A person who makes an application in contravention of subsection (4) or (5) shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

The Secretary of State shall, on receiving an application under subsection (1), register the applicant.

Where a registered person is convicted of an offence under this Part (other than an offence under section 19(3)) the court before which he is convicted may, instead of or in addition to imposing a fine, by order suspend his registration for any period of up to five years.

A court shall give notice to the Secretary of State of the contents of any order which has been made by it under subsection (1) or (2) and which has effect.

In this section “appeal” includes an application under section 111 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 (c. 43) (application by way of case stated).

The Secretary of State may cancel a person’s registration if he is satisfied that the person concerned is not carrying on business as a registration plate supplier and has not, while registered, been doing so for at least 28 days.

This section is subject to section 22.

The Secretary of State shall not cancel a person’s registration under section 21 unless the Secretary of State has complied with the provisions of this section.

The representations may be made orally or in writing.

If the person concerned informs the Secretary of State that he desires to make oral representations, the Secretary of State shall give that person an opportunity of appearing before, and being heard by, a person appointed by the Secretary of State.

If the Secretary of State decides to proceed with his proposed cancellation, he shall serve a notice on the person concerned informing him of the Secretary of State’s decision to proceed and of the cancellation.

An appeal against the cancellation by the Secretary of State under section 21 of a person’s registration may be brought to a magistrates' court.

An appeal under this section shall be brought within the period of 21 days beginning with the day on which the person concerned is served with a notice under section 22(7).

The procedure on an appeal under this section shall be by way of complaint for an order and in accordance with the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 (c. 43).

For the purposes of the time limit for bringing an appeal under this section the making of the complaint shall be treated as the bringing of the appeal.

On an appeal under this section, the magistrates' court concerned may confirm, vary or reverse the Secretary of State’s decision and generally give such directions as it considers appropriate having regard to the provisions of this Part.