Confirmation of byelaws
26.—(1) Byelaws made by the Council under this Order shall not come into operation until they have been confirmed by the Scottish Ministers.
(2) At least one month before an application for confirmation of byelaws is made by the Council to the Scottish Ministers, notice of the intention to apply for confirmation and of the place at which and times during which a copy of the byelaws shall be open to inspection shall be published as follows—
(a)once in the Edinburgh Gazette; and
(b)once in each of two successive weeks in a newspaper circulating in the area in which the harbour is situated.
(3) During a period of at least one month before application is made for confirmation of the byelaws, a copy of the byelaws shall be kept by the Council at the principal office of the Council and at the harbour office and will be available for inspection without payment.
(4) The Council shall supply a copy of the byelaws or of part of the byelaws to a person who shall apply for it.
(5) During the period of one month after the date of first publication of any notice required by paragraph (2), any person may make in writing to the Scottish Ministers any objection to or representation respecting the byelaws to which the notice relates.
(6) Subject to paragraph (7), the Scottish Ministers may confirm the byelaws in the form submitted to them with such modifications as they think fit or may refuse to confirm them.
(7) Where the Scottish Ministers propose to make a modification that appears to them to substantially affect the character of the byelaw they shall inform the Council and require it to take any steps the Scottish Ministers consider necessary for informing persons likely to be concerned with the modification, and the Scottish Ministers shall not make decision under paragraph (6) until such period has elapsed as the Scottish Ministers think reasonable for consideration of, and comment upon, the proposed modification by the Council and by other persons who have been informed of it.
(8) In making a decision under paragraph (6) the Scottish Ministers shall have regard to any comments that may have been received under paragraph (7).
(9) A copy of the byelaws when confirmed shall be printed and deposited by the Council at the principal office of the Council and shall at all reasonable hours be open to public inspection without payment, and a copy of the byelaws shall on application be furnished to any person on request.