Commentary on provisions of Act Section 14: Duty to notify when taking enforcement action
This section makes provision for the circumstances in which an enforcement authority must notify another body of enforcement action.
	Subsection (1) provides that where a local weights and measures authority proposes to take enforcement action in respect of a breach that occurs outside of its local area, it must notify the local weights and measures authority of its intention to do so. When such a notification is received the latter is relieved of its duty. This duty is reinstated if the local weights and measures authority is informed that the enforcing local weights and measures authority has not taken the enforcement action proposed.
	Subsection (3) provides that where a district council proposes to take enforcement action in respect of a breach, it must notify the local weights and measures authority of its intention to do so. When such a notification is received the latter is relieved of its duty. This duty is reinstated if the local weights and measures authority is informed that the district council has not taken the enforcement action proposed.
	Subsection (6) requires an enforcement authority to notify the lead enforcement authority as soon as reasonably practicable whenever it imposes a financial penalty. This is to ensure that when an enforcement authority becomes aware of a breach it is able to check to see if a financial penalty has been issued previously by another authority. This will inform whether the breach is dealt with as an offence under Section 12.  The enforcement authority must also notify the lead enforcement authority as soon as reasonably practicable if it withdraws the financial penalty or it is quashed on appeal.
	An enforcement authority must also notify the lead enforcement authority whenever it brings proceedings for an offence under Section 12 and the defendant is convicted of the offence.
	Subsections (7) and (9) require an enforcement authority to notify the local housing authority (if that is a different authority) as soon as reasonably practical if it has imposed a financial penalty or secured a conviction against a person for an offence under Section 12. Subsections (8) and (10) specify when such notifications must be made.