Apprenticeship Act, 1931

Additional powers of authorised officers.

33.—(1) An authorised officer may do all or any of the following things, that is to say:—

(a) at all reasonable times enter upon any premises in which a designated trade is carried on where he has reasonable cause to believe any person is employed in such premises;

(b) require the person carrying on a designated trade in any premises upon which he is entitled to enter under the foregoing paragraph and in which any person is employed, to produce wages sheets, time sheets, and other records of wages to him and inspect and examine the same and take copies or extracts thereof;

(c) enter any premises in an apprenticeship district in which courses of instruction in the nature of technical education provided by a vocational education committee are being given where he has reasonable cause to believe any apprentice in a designated trade is attending such courses;

(d) examine either alone or in the presence of any other person, as he thinks fit, with respect to matters under this Act, every person whom he finds in any premises upon which he is entitled under this section to enter and require such person to answer such questions as he may put touching such matter, and to sign a declaration of the truth of the answers to such questions.

(2) If any person—

(a) refuses, neglects, or fails to produce for inspection any documents which he is required by an authorised officer under this section to produce, or obstructs any authorised officer in the making of such inspection or the taking of copies or extracts of such documents, or

(b) prevents or attempts to prevent any person from appearing before an authorised officer, or

(c) wilfully refuses to answer any questions lawfully asked of him by an authorised officer under this section, or

(d) refuses to sign a declaration which he is lawfully required by an authorised officer to sign under this section, or

(e) in any other manner obstructs or impedes an authorised officer in the exercise of any of the powers conferred upon an authorised officer by this section,

such person shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding five pounds.