(1)The Scottish Ministers may review the national outcomes at any time (but subject to subsections (2) and (3)).
(2)The Scottish Ministers must begin a review of the national outcomes before the expiry of the period of 5 years beginning with the date on which the national outcomes were published under section 1(7).
(3)The Scottish Ministers must begin further reviews of the national outcomes before the expiry of each 5 year period.
(4)In carrying out a review of the national outcomes under subsection (1), (2) or (3), the Scottish Ministers must consult—
(a)such persons who appear to them to represent the interests of communities in Scotland, and
(b)such other persons as they consider appropriate.
(5)Following a review, the Scottish Ministers—
(a)may propose revisions to the national outcomes,
(b)must—
(i)where they propose to make revisions to the national outcomes, consult the Scottish Parliament on the proposed revisions during the consultation period,
(ii)where they do not propose to make revisions to the national outcomes, consult the Scottish Parliament during the consultation period on the national outcomes as most recently published under section 1(7) or paragraph (d)(i) or republished under paragraph (d)(ii),
(c)may revise the national outcomes after the expiry of the consultation period, and
(d)must—
(i)where the national outcomes are revised, publish the outcomes as revised,
(ii)where the national outcomes are not revised, republish the outcomes after the expiry of the consultation period.
(6)In consulting the Scottish Parliament under subsection (5)(b), the Scottish Ministers must also lay before the Parliament a document describing—
(a)the consultation carried out under subsection (4),
(b)any representations received in response to that consultation, and
(c)where they propose to make revisions to the national outcomes, whether and if so how those representations have been taken account of in preparing the proposed revisions.
(7)References to the national outcomes in section 1(9) and in section 3 include references to the national outcomes revised under subsection (5)(c) of this section.
(8)In subsection (3), “5 year period” means the period of 5 years beginning with the date on which the national outcomes were published under sub-paragraph (i) of paragraph (d) of subsection (5) or, as the case may be, republished under sub-paragraph (ii) of that paragraph.
(9)In subsection (4), “community” includes any community based on common interest, identity or geography.
(10)In subsection (5), “consultation period” means the period of 40 days beginning with the day on which the consultation mentioned in subsection (5)(b)(i) or (ii) commences; and in calculating the period of 40 days, no account is to be taken of any time during which the Scottish Parliament is dissolved or in recess for more than 4 days.