Commentary General customs officials Section 4: Designation: supplementary
42.Section 4 provides at subsection (1) that a designation under section 3 will be subject to any limitations specified in the designation and then sets out at subsection (2) that a limitation may in particular relate to the functions which may be exercised by the general customs official or the purposes for which those functions may be exercised.
43.Subsection (3) provides that a designation may be permanent or made for a specified period and may, in either case, be withdrawn or varied. Subsection (4) provides that the power to designate, withdraw or vary a designation is to be exercised by the Secretary of State giving notice to the official in question. Subsection (5) provides that the Secretary of State may designate an official under section 3 only if the Secretary of State is satisfied that the official is capable of effectively carrying out the functions exercisable by virtue of the designation and has received adequate training in respect of the exercise of those functions. In addition to these requirements, it also provides that the Secretary of State must be satisfied that the official is otherwise a suitable person to exercise those functions.