Codes of practice
17.—(1)  The Authority may, from time to time —
(a)issue one or more codes of practice concerning the provision of third‑party taxi booking services applicable to all registered providers or any specified class or classes of registered providers; or
(b)amend, add to or revoke any code of practice issued under paragraph (a).
(2)  A code of practice may, in particular, specify the duties and obligations of any registered provider in relation to any third‑party taxi booking service to be provided under the registered provider’s class or classes of registration.
(3)  If any provision in any code of practice is inconsistent with any provision of this Act, the provision in the code of practice, to the extent of the inconsistency —
(a)is to have effect subject to this Act; and
(b)having regard to this Act, is not to have effect.
(4)  Where any code of practice is issued, amended, added to or revoked by the Authority under subsection (1), the Authority must —
(a)publish a notice of the issue, amendment, addition or revocation, as the case may be, of the code of practice as will secure adequate publicity for such issue, amendment, addition or revocation;
(b)specify in the notice referred to in paragraph (a), the date the issue, amendment, addition or revocation is to take effect (as the case may be); and
(c)ensure that, so long as the code of practice remains in force, copies of that code of practice are made available to the registered providers who are to comply with that code of practice.
(5)  A code of practice issued under this section does not have any legislative effect.
(6)  Subject to subsection (7), every registered provider must comply with the relevant codes of practice applicable to the registered provider.
(7)  The Authority may, either generally or for such time as the Authority may specify, waive the application of any code of practice or any part of a code of practice issued under this section to any registered provider.
(8)  Any contravention or failure to comply by a registered provider with any code of practice applicable to the registered provider does not of itself render the registered provider liable to criminal proceedings, but any such contravention or non‑compliance may, in any proceedings (criminal or otherwise under this Act), be relied on by any party to those proceedings as tending to establish or negate any liability which is in question in those proceedings.