National inventory: civil penalties
12. After regulation 13 insert—
“PART 6Civil penalties
Penalty notices
14.—(1) Subject to regulation 15, where the Secretary of State is satisfied that a person (“P”) is liable to a civil penalty under this Part the Secretary of State must, serve a notice on P (a “penalty notice”).
(2) The penalty notice must specify—
(a)the regulation under which that liability arises;
(b)the amount of the civil penalty due;
(c)whether or not P may be liable to a civil penalty in accordance with regulation 16(2)(b) (an “additional daily penalty”); and
(d)if P will not be liable to an additional daily penalty, the date by which the penalty for which P is liable must be paid.
(3) Subject to regulation 15, where the Secretary of State is satisfied that P is liable to an additional daily penalty the Secretary of State must, when the amount of that additional daily penalty can be determined, serve a notice on P (an “additional penalty notice”) specifying—
(a)the total amount of the civil penalties due; and
(b)the date by which that amount must be paid.
(4) A civil penalty imposed by a penalty notice or an additional penalty notice must be paid to the Secretary of State by the date specified in the notice.
(5) Any such civil penalty is recoverable by the Secretary of State as a civil debt.
Discretion in imposing civil penalties
15. Where the Secretary of State considers it appropriate to do so, the Secretary of State may—
(a)refrain from imposing a civil penalty under this Part;
(b)reduce the amount of a penalty (including the amount of an additional daily penalty);
(c)extend the time for payment specified in the penalty notice or additional penalty notice;
(d)withdraw a penalty notice or an additional penalty notice; or
(e)modify the notice by substituting a lower penalty.
Failure to comply with a notice under regulation 10(1)
16.—(1) A person (“P”) is liable to the civil penalties in paragraph (2) where P fails to comply (or to comply on time) with the requirements of a notice served under regulation 10(1) (an “information notice”).
(2) The civil penalties are—
(a)£1,500; and
(b)£150 for each day that P fails to comply with the requirements of the information notice, following service of a penalty notice, up to a maximum of £13,500.
Providing false or misleading information
17.—(1) Where paragraph (2) applies, a person is liable to the civil penalty in paragraph (3) where that person provides false or misleading information, or makes a statement which is false or misleading in a material particular.
(2) This paragraph applies where the statement is made (or the information is provided) to the Secretary of State in writing for the purpose of preparing a national inventory, whether or not the statement is made (or the information provided) in purported compliance with a requirement imposed by a notice under regulation 10(1).
(3) The civil penalty is £1,000.
Appeals
18.—(1) A person on whom a penalty notice or additional penalty notice has been served under this Part may appeal to the First-tier tribunal(1).
(2) The bringing of the appeal suspends the effect of the notice pending the final determination or withdrawal of the appeal.
(3) In determining the appeal the First-tier tribunal may—
(a)affirm or quash the notice; or
(b)reduce the amount of the penalty imposed by the notice (including the amount of any additional daily penalty).”.
The procedure for appeals to the First-tier Tribunal is provided by the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (General Regulatory Chamber) Rules 2009 (S.I. 2009/1976 (L. 20)). Appeals are assigned to the General Regulatory Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal by virtue of article 3(a) of the First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal (Chambers) Order 2010 (S. I. 2010/2655).