§ `(1) A person to whom a civil penalty notice is given may give notice to the Administrator that he objects to the penalty on one or both of the following grounds—
- (a) that he is not liable to pay it;
- (b) that the amount of the penalty is too high.
§ (2) The notice of objection—
- (a) must set out the grounds of the objection and the objector's reasons for objecting on those grounds; and
- (b) must be given to the Administrator in the specified manner and within the specified period after the giving of the civil penalty notice.
§ (3) The Administrator must consider a notice of objection given in accordance with this section and may then—
- (a) cancel the penalty;
- (b) reduce it;
- (c) increase it; or
- (d) confirm it.
§ (4) The Administrator must not enforce a penalty in respect of which he has received a notice of objection before he has notified the objector of the outcome of his consideration of the objection.
§ (5) That notification of the outcome of his consideration must be given, in the specified manner—
- (a) before the end of the specified period; or
- (b) within such longer period as he may agree with the objector.
§ (6) Where, on consideration of an objection, the Administrator increases the penalty, he must give the objector a new civil penalty notice; and, where he reduces it, the notification mentioned in subsection (5) must set out the reduced amount.'.—[Mr. Timms.]
§ Brought up, read the First and Second time, and added to the Bill.