PART 5Administration

Enforcement32.

(1)

At a border inspection post these Regulations are enforced—

(a)

in relation to animals by the Secretary of State F1other than at the Heathrow Airport border control post in cases where, in relation to animals, these Regulations are jointly enforced by the Secretary of State and the Common Council of the City of London; and

(b)

in relation to products by the district council.

(2)

Outside a border F2control post, in relation to animals (other than in relation to aquatic animals) they are enforced by—

(a)

in all London boroughs, the Common Council of the City of London F3where the Council is acting as a local authority or a port health authority;

(b)

otherwise by the county council.

F4(2A)

Outside a border control post, official controls in relation to aquatic animals are enforced by the Secretary of State.

(3)

Outside a border inspection post, in relation to products they are enforced by—

(a)

the district council (except in relation to animal feed, where it is the county council); or

(b)

by the Food Standards Agency at any cutting plant, game-handling establishment or slaughterhouse, or premises at which the Agency enforces F5the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013.

(4)

In addition, in relation to products they are enforced by a general customs official in any place (other than the inspection facilities in a border inspection post) where goods are subject to customs supervision by that official under F6the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018.

(5)

The Secretary of State may direct, in relation to cases of a particular description or a particular case, that the Secretary of State may discharge any duty imposed on a local authority under this regulation.

F7(5A)

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(a) or where the Secretary of State makes a direction under paragraph (5), the Secretary of State may delegate to the Director of Public Prosecutions functions in relation to the prosecution of an offence under these Regulations. 

F8(6)

Where a customs officer exercising a statutory function at any place under customs supervision discovers any animal or product suspected of being non-compliant, that officer must detain it and notify such detention to an authorised officer of the relevant enforcement authority.