46.—(1) A person who—

(a) obstructs, interferes with or impedes an authorised officer, or any person who accompanies an authorised officer, in the course of exercising a function conferred on the officer under this Act,

(b) fails or refuses, without reasonable cause, to comply with a requirement or prohibition of an authorised officer under section 38,

(c) fails, without reasonable cause, to give assistance or requested information to an authorised officer in accordance with section 41(1) or (3) or to comply with a requirement of an authorised officer under section 41(2), or

(d) in—

(i) making an application for registration, a licence, a permit, an approval, an authorisation, a certificate or other thing required by animal health and welfare regulations, or

(ii) purporting to give information to an authorised officer for the exercise of the officer’s functions under section 38 or 41—

(I) makes a statement that he or she knows to be false or misleading in a material particular or recklessly makes a statement which is false or misleading in a material particular, or

(II) intentionally fails to disclose a material particular,

commits an offence.

(2) A statement or admission made by a person pursuant to a requirement under section 41(1) is not admissible as evidence in proceedings brought against that person for an offence (other than an offence under this section for failing to give information or giving false information) under this Act.