Environmental objectives and programme of measures
6.—(1) For the purposes of any river basin management plan for the Solway Tweed River Basin District which is required by paragraph 7, the Agencies must by such date as the Ministers may direct prepare and submit to the Ministers proposals for—
(a)environmental objectives for the district; and
(b)a programme of measures to be applied in order to achieve those objectives.
(2) In preparing proposals under sub-paragraph (1), the Agencies must—
(a)take account of the characterisation of, and economic analysis of water use in, the district (and any review of the same) carried out under paragraphs 1 and 2; and
(b)take such steps as they think fit, or the Ministers may direct, to—
(i)provide opportunities for the general public and those persons likely to be interested in or affected by their proposals to participate in discussion and the exchange of information or views in relation to the preparation of those proposals;
(ii)publicise their draft proposals to those persons; and
(iii)consult those persons in respect of those proposals.
(3) The Ministers may, having considered any proposals for environmental objectives or for a programme of measures submitted to them in relation to the Solway Tweed River Basin District and any representations received by them in relation to those proposals—
(a)approve the proposals, or any of them, in the form submitted;
(b)approve the proposals, or any of them, either with modifications or subject to such modifications as the Ministers may direct the Agencies to make; or
(c)reject the proposals, or any of them;
and, in any case falling within paragraph (b) or (c), must state their reasons for doing so.
(4) Where the Ministers reject any proposals, they must direct the Agencies to resubmit proposals, by such time, if any, as the direction may specify with—
(a)modifications of such nature as the direction may specify; and
(b)any further modifications which the Agencies consider appropriate.
(5) The Ministers must ensure that—
(a)a programme of measures for the Solway Tweed River Basin District is—
(i)established by 22nd December 2009;
(ii)made operational by 22nd December 2012; and
(iii)periodically reviewed and where appropriate updated, initially by 22nd December 2015 and thereafter by each sixth anniversary of that date; and
(b)in relation to a programme of measures that is updated under paragraph (a)(iii), any new or revised measures are made operational within three years of that updating.