Commentary on Sections Licensing of services provided to eligible premises Section 9: Fees relating to licences
40.Section 9 provides for the Commission to make a fees scheme specifying matters relating to water services and sewerage services licences in respect of which fees are payable, and the amounts of fees payable (and as appropriate, the persons by whom they are payable) in respect of each of those matters. Subsection (2) states that the purpose of the scheme is to ensure that such fees are sufficient to meet the costs incurred by the Commission in exercising its functions in relation to water and sewerage services licences.
41.Subsections (3), (4) and (5) respectively provide that a fees scheme: may impose on licence-holders fees by way of annual levies and specify fees by reference to maximum amounts; may make provision for the times and methods of payment of fees; and may make different provision for different cases or types of case, and may revoke or amend a previous scheme.
42.Subsection (6) requires the Commission to send any fees scheme to the Scottish Ministers for approval, and publish a summary of the scheme. Subsection (7) requires Ministers to have regard to any representations made about a fees scheme within four weeks of the publication of the summary, and allows them to approve a scheme with or without modifications. Subsection (8) provides that if Ministers approve the scheme with modifications, they must give their reasons for doing so.
43.Subsection (9) provides that when a fees scheme has been approved, the Commission must make arrangements for any person to obtain a copy of the scheme, and publicise those arrangements and publish the scheme; and that the Commission may charge and recover fees in accordance with the scheme.