The Secretary of State or the National Assembly for Wales may cause an inquiry or other hearing to be held in connection with a draft drought plan.

Where the Secretary of State or the National Assembly for Wales causes an inquiry or other hearing to be held in accordance with paragraph (1), subsections (2) to (5) of section 250 of the Local Government Act 19728 shall apply to such inquiry or other hearing as they apply to inquiries under that section, except that for any reference in that section to a “local authority” there shall be read instead a reference to the water undertaker whose draft drought plan is the subject of the inquiry or other hearing.