Supervision, enforcement, publicity etc.

24 Supervision by Council on Tribunals.

F11

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F82

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

24AF17Lead enforcement authority

1

In this Act “the lead enforcement authority” means—

a

the Secretary of State, or

b

a person whom the Secretary of State has arranged to be the lead enforcement authority in accordance with subsection (2).

2

The Secretary of State may make arrangements for one of the following to be the lead enforcement authority for the purposes of this Act (for the whole of the United Kingdom) instead of the Secretary of State—

a

a local weights and measures authority in Great Britain, or

b

the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland.

3

The arrangements—

a

may include provision for payments by the Secretary of State;

b

may include provision about bringing the arrangements to an end.

4

The Secretary of State may by regulations made by statutory instrument make transitional provision for when there is a change in the lead enforcement authority.

5

The regulations may relate to a specific change in the lead enforcement authority or to changes that might arise from time to time.

25 General duties of F9the lead enforcement authority

1

Subject to section 26(3) below, it is the duty of the F10lead enforcement authority—

a

generally to superintend the working and enforcement of this Act, and

b

where necessary or expedient, F3itself to take steps to enforce this Act.

2

It is the duty of the F11lead enforcement authority, so far as appears to F4it to be practicable and having regard both to the national interest and the interests of persons engaged in estate agency work and of consumers, to keep under review and from time to time advise the Secretary of State about—

a

social and commercial developments in the United Kingdom and elsewhere relating to the carrying on of estate agency work and related activities; and

b

the working and enforcement of this Act.

3

The F12lead enforcement authority shall arrange for the dissemination, in such form and manner as F5it considers appropriate, of such information and advice as it may appear to F4it expedient to give the public in the United Kingdom about the operation of this Act.

26 Enforcement authorities.

1

Without prejudice to section 25(1) above, the following authorities (in this Act referred to as “enforcement authorities”) have a duty to enforce this Act—

a

the F13lead enforcement authority,

b

in Great Britain, a local weights and measures authority, and

c

in Northern Ireland, the F18Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland .

F151A

For the investigatory powers available to an authority for the purposes of the duty in subsection (1), see Schedule 5 to the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

F62

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3

Nothing in this section or in section 25 above authorises an enforcement authority to institute proceedings in Scotland for an offence.

4

Every local weights and measures authority shall, whenever the F14lead enforcement authority requires, report to F7it in such form and with such particulars as F7it requires on the exercise of their functions under this Act.

5

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2

F1627 Obstruction and personation of authorised officers.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .