Structure of the Act Part 2 – Regulation of Social Housing Penalty Section 234 - Enforcement
677.This section specifies how fines will be enforced, and provides for late payment or non-payment of fines. Fines are treated as a debt to the regulator once a penalty notice is issued under section 228.
678.Subsection (2) gives the Treasury a power to make regulations permitting the regulator to charge interest on fines that are not paid by the date specified in the penalty notice and to impose additional fines where the original fine is not paid by the specified deadline. In such cases, subsection (3)provides that the additional sums are also treated as fines, and that these additional amounts may have the effect of increasing the penalty above the limit set by section 229.
679.Subsection (4) provides for how interest rates may be set for interest charges on late payment of penalties as provided for in subsection (2).
680.Subsection (5) gives a discretionary power to the regulator to offer an early payment discount if the provider pays the fine in advance of the date specified in the penalty notice.
681.Subsection (6) specifies that if the penalty notice is served on a person under section 227 Case (6), he or she may not be prosecuted for the offence which is the ground for requiring the payment of a fine.