Chemical Weapons Act 1996

Information and recordsU.K.

21 Information for purposes of Act.U.K.

(1)If the Secretary of State has grounds to suspect that a person is committing or has committed an offence under this Act the Secretary of State may by notice served on the person require him to give in such form as is specified in the notice, and within such reasonable period as is so specified, such information as—

(a)the Secretary of State has reasonable cause to believe will help to establish whether the person is committing or has committed such an offence, and

(b)is specified in the notice.

(2)A person who without reasonable excuse fails to comply with a notice served on him under subsection (1) is guilty of an offence and liable—

(a)on summary conviction, to a fine of an amount not exceeding the statutory maximum;

(b)on conviction on indictment, to a fine.

(3)A person on whom a notice is served under subsection (1) and who knowingly makes a false or misleading statement in response to it is guilty of an offence and liable—

(a)on summary conviction, to a fine of an amount not exceeding the statutory maximum;

(b)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine or to both.

22 Information and records for purposes of Convention.U.K.

(1)The Secretary of State may by notice served on any person require him to give in such form as is specified in the notice, and within such reasonable period as is so specified, such information as—

(a)the Secretary of State has reasonable cause to believe is or will be needed in connection with anything to be done for the purposes of the Convention, and

(b)is specified in the notice;

and the information required by a notice may relate to a state of affairs subsisting before the coming into force of this Act or of the Convention.

(2)The Secretary of State may by notice served on any person require him to keep such records as—

(a)the Secretary of State has reasonable cause to believe will facilitate the giving of information the person may at any time be required to give under subsection (1), and

(b)are specified in the notice.

(3)A person who without reasonable excuse fails to comply with a notice served on him under subsection (1) or (2) is guilty of an offence and liable—

(a)on summary conviction, to a fine of an amount not exceeding the statutory maximum;

(b)on conviction on indictment, to a fine.

(4)A person on whom a notice is served under subsection (1) and who knowingly makes a false or misleading statement in response to it is guilty of an offence and liable—

(a)on summary conviction, to a fine of an amount not exceeding the statutory maximum;

(b)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine or to both.

23 Identifying persons who have information.U.K.

(1)The Secretary of State may make regulations requiring persons of any description specified in the regulations to inform him that they are of such a description.

(2)Any such description must be so framed that persons within it are persons on whom the Secretary of State is likely to want to serve a notice under section 22.

(3)If regulations are made under this section the Secretary of State shall arrange for a statement of the fact that they have been made to be published in such manner as is likely to bring them to the attention of persons affected by them.

(4)A person who without reasonable excuse fails to comply with a requirement imposed by the regulations is guilty of an offence and liable—

(a)on summary conviction, to a fine of an amount not exceeding the statutory maximum;

(b)on conviction on indictment, to a fine.

(5)A person who knowingly makes a false or misleading statement in response to a requirement imposed by the regulations is guilty of an offence and liable—

(a)on summary conviction, to a fine of an amount not exceeding the statutory maximum;

(b)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine or to both.

(6)The regulations shall be made by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.