12.—(1) The Authority shall have power to charge, receive and recover fees for researches, tests, investigations and analyses undertaken by the Authority on behalf of any person other than the Minister.

(2) The Authority may levy interest in respect of money due to it under F3[this section]but which has not been paid from a date on which such money became due.

F4[(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the Authority shall, subject to the consent of the Minister, have power to charge, receive and recover such fees as it considers appropriate from any person, other than the Minister, in respect of, or connected with, the performance by it of any of its functions, including functions provided for in—

(a) this Act or regulations made under this Act, or

(b) regulations made under the European Communities Act 1972.

(4) Any fee charged, received or recovered by the Authority under subsection (1) prior to the commencement of section 43 of the Competition (Amendment) Act 2022 shall be deemed to have been so charged, received or recovered in accordance with this section.

(5) The Authority may recover, as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction, any amount due and owing to it by any person under this section.]