The Arable Area Payments Regulations 1994

Powers of authorised persons

14.—(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; or

(b) ascertaining whether an offence under these Regulations has been or is being committed.

(2) An authorised person may enter any premises, other than premises used only as a dwelling, which are, or which such person has reasonable cause to believe to be, occupied by, or in the possession of, a farmer, collector or processor or an employee or agent of a farmer, collector or processor.

(3) An authorised person who has entered any premises by virtue of this regulation may—

(a) inspect all or any part of the land farmed or set aside by a farmer;

(b) inspect any crops growing on that land or kept on it.

(4) An authorised person may—

(a) require any farmer, collector or processor or any employee or agent of a farmer, collector or processor to produce any record and to supply such additional information in that person’s possession or under his control relating to an application for a compensatory payment as the authorised person may reasonably request;

(b) inspect any such record 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 in use in connection with that record;

(c) require that copies of, or extracts from, any such record be produced;

(d) seize and retain any such record 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 computer, require it to be produced in a form in which it may be taken away.

(5) An authorised person entering any premises by virtue of this regulation may take with him such other persons as he considers necessary and sub-paragraphs (2), (3) and (4) above shall apply to such persons, when acting under the instructions of an authorised person, as if they were an authorised person.