{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/gangmasters-licensing-act-2004/section-15",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/gangmasters-licensing-act-2004/section-15.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2004/11",
  "legislation_title": "Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/gangmasters-licensing-act-2004",
  "path": "section/15",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "15",
  "heading": "Enforcement officers: Northern Ireland",
  "text": "(1) The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland (“the Department”) may appoint officers (“enforcement officers”) to act for the purposes of this Act , so far as it applies in relation to Northern Ireland—\n(a) in enforcing the provisions of section 6 (prohibition of unlicensed activities), and\n(b) in taking action in circumstances in which it appears that an offence under section 13 (persons entering into arrangements with gangmasters) has been, is being, or may be committed.\n(2) The Department may, instead of or in addition to appointing enforcement officers under subsection (1), make arrangements with a relevant authority for officers of that authority to be enforcement officers.\n(3) The following are relevant authorities for this purpose—\n(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(b) any Minister of the Crown or government department,\n(ba) any Minister within the meaning of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 or any Northern Ireland department,\n(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(e) any body performing functions on behalf of the Crown.\n(3A) Arrangements made under subsection (2) with a relevant authority within paragraph (b) or (e) of subsection (3) may provide for payments to be made by the Department in respect of the performance of any function to which the arrangements relate.\n(3B) Any sums received by virtue of subsection (3A) by a Minister of the Crown or government department are to be paid into the Consolidated Fund.\n(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(5) When acting for the purposes of this Act, an enforcement officer ... shall, if so required, produce some duly authenticated document showing his authority to act.\n(6) If it appears to an enforcement officer ... that any person with whom he is dealing while acting for the purposes of this Act does not know that he is an officer so acting, the officer shall identify himself as such to that person.\n(6ZA) For powers to enforce this Act so far as it applies in relation to England and Wales and Scotland, see Part 5 of the Employment Rights Act 2025.\n(6A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 15(1) substituted (7.4.2026) by Employment Rights Act 2025 (c. 36), s. 159(3), Sch. 10 para. 36(3)(a) (with s. 147, Sch. 11); S.I. 2026/323, reg. 4(1)(55)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 15(1) inserted (7.4.2026) by Employment Rights Act 2025 (c. 36), s. 159(3), Sch. 10 para. 36(3)(b) (with s. 147, Sch. 11); S.I. 2026/323, reg. 4(1)(55)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Word in s. 15(2) substituted (7.4.2026) by Employment Rights Act 2025 (c. 36), s. 159(3), Sch. 10 para. 36(4) (with s. 147, Sch. 11); S.I. 2026/323, reg. 4(1)(55)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 15(3)(a) omitted (7.4.2026) by virtue of Employment Rights Act 2025 (c. 36), s. 159(3), Sch. 10 para. 36(5)(a) (with s. 147, Sch. 11); S.I. 2026/323, reg. 4(1)(55)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "S. 15(3)(ba) inserted (7.4.2026) by Employment Rights Act 2025 (c. 36), s. 159(3), Sch. 10 para. 36(5)(b) (with s. 147, Sch. 11); S.I. 2026/323, reg. 4(1)(55)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "S. 15(3)(c) omitted (7.4.2026) by virtue of Employment Rights Act 2025 (c. 36), s. 159(3), Sch. 10 para. 36(5)(c) (with s. 147, Sch. 11); S.I. 2026/323, reg. 4(1)(55)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "S. 15(3)(d) omitted (7.4.2026) by virtue of Employment Rights Act 2025 (c. 36), s. 159(3), Sch. 10 para. 36(5)(c) (with s. 147, Sch. 11); S.I. 2026/323, reg. 4(1)(55)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "S. 15(3A)(3B) inserted (7.4.2026) by Employment Rights Act 2025 (c. 36), s. 159(3), Sch. 10 para. 36(6) (with s. 147, Sch. 11); S.I. 2026/323, reg. 4(1)(55)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "S. 15(4) omitted (7.4.2026) by virtue of Employment Rights Act 2025 (c. 36), s. 159(3), Sch. 10 para. 36(7) (with s. 147, Sch. 11); S.I. 2026/323, reg. 4(1)(55)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words in s. 15(5) omitted (7.4.2026) by virtue of Employment Rights Act 2025 (c. 36), s. 159(3), Sch. 10 para. 36(8) (with s. 147, Sch. 11); S.I. 2026/323, reg. 4(1)(55)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "Words in s. 15(6) omitted (7.4.2026) by virtue of Employment Rights Act 2025 (c. 36), s. 159(3), Sch. 10 para. 36(9) (with s. 147, Sch. 11); S.I. 2026/323, reg. 4(1)(55)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F12",
      "text": "S. 15(6ZA) inserted (7.4.2026) by Employment Rights Act 2025 (c. 36), s. 159(3), Sch. 10 para. 36(10) (with s. 147, Sch. 11); S.I. 2026/323, reg. 4(1)(55)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F13",
      "text": "S. 15(6A) omitted (7.4.2026) by virtue of Employment Rights Act 2025 (c. 36), s. 159(3), Sch. 10 para. 36(11) (with s. 147, Sch. 11); S.I. 2026/323, reg. 4(1)(55)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F14",
      "text": "S. 15 heading substituted (7.4.2026) by Employment Rights Act 2025 (c. 36), s. 159(3), Sch. 10 para. 36(2) (with s. 147, Sch. 11); S.I. 2026/323, reg. 4(1)(55)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 15 in force at 1.4.2005 by S.I. 2005/447, art. 2(d)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "inserted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2015/20",
      "affecting_title": "Deregulation Act 2015"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/11/section/15",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:17:18.496826+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}