Commentary on Sections Part 2: Registered Social Landlords Penalty Section 62 - Enforcement
144.This section inserts a new section 50M into the 1996 Act which specifies how penalties will be enforced, and provides sanctions for late payment or non-payment. Penalties are treated as a debt to the Welsh Ministers once a penalty notice is issued.
145.Subsection (2) of the new section 50M allows the Welsh Ministers to charge interest on penalties that are not paid by the date specified in the penalty notice and to impose additional penalties for late payment. In such cases, subsection (3) provides that the additional sums are also treated as penalties, and that these additional amounts may have the effect of increasing the penalty above the limit set by section 50J of the 1996 Act.
146.Subsection (4) gives a discretionary power to the Welsh Ministers to offer an early payment discount if the RSL pays the penalty in advance of the date specified in the penalty notice.
147.Subsection (5) specifies that if the penalty notice is served on a person under Case 5 of section 50H of the 1996 Act, that person may not be prosecuted for the offence which is the ground for requiring the payment of the penalty.