30.—(1) A person shall be guilty of an offence if without reasonable excuse, proof of which shall lie with him, he—
(a)contravenes regulations 8(2), 9(2),(3) and (9)(a), 16(1), 17 and 21 to 25;
(b)breaches any condition on which a licence has been granted to him under regulation 18;
(c)fails to produce records or other documents when required to do so under regulation 26 or to provide access and reasonable facilities for the inspection or copying of electronic material under that regulation;
(d)obstructs or impedes an authorised officer, or any person nominated by an authorised officer under regulation 26(6) in the exercise of powers set out in regulations 26 and 27;
(e)provides or permits to be provided false information in any document required under these regulations; or
(f)falsifies test results of assessments carried out for the purpose of providing the information required under regulation 19(2) as read with regulation 20, or otherwise interferes with the testing process so that the information provided pursuant to regulation 19(2) as read with regulation 20 is false.
[F1(2) Proceedings for an offence under this regulation may, subject to paragraph (2A) below, be commenced within the period of six months from the date on which evidence sufficient in the opinion of the prosecutor to warrant the proceedings came to his knowledge.]
[F2(2A) No such proceeding shall be commenced by virtue of this regulation more than 3 years after the commission of the offence.
(2B) For the purposes of this regulation—
(a)a certificate signed by or on behalf of the prosecutor and stating the date on which evidence sufficient in his opinion to warrant the proceedings came to his knowledge shall be conclusive evidence of that fact;
(b)a certificate stating that matter purporting to be so signed shall be deemed to be so signed unless the contrary is proved.
(2C) In relation to proceedings in Scotland, subsection (3) of section 136 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (date of commencement of proceedings) shall apply for the purposes of this regulation as it applies for the purposes of that section.]
(3) A person guilty of an offence under paragraph (1) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.
Textual Amendments
F1Reg. 30(2) substituted (9.10.2006) by The Forest Reproductive Material (Great Britain) (Amendment) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/2530), regs. 1, 11(1)