The appropriate national authority may issue, and may from time to time revise, codes of practice for the purpose of providing practical guidance in respect of any provision made by or under this Act.
The authority responsible for issuing a code of practice under subsection (1) shall publish the code, and any revision of it, in such manner as it considers appropriate.
A person's failure to comply with a provision of a code of practice issued under this section shall not of itself render him liable to proceedings of any kind.
In any proceedings against a person for an offence under this Act or an offence under regulations under section 12 or 13—
failure to comply with a relevant provision of a code of practice issued under this section may be relied upon as tending to establish liability, and
compliance with a relevant provision of such a code of practice may be relied upon as tending to negative liability.