Amendment of section 23 of the 1993 Act
15. After subsection (5) of section 23 of the 1993 Act (power of Secretary of State to give directions to the appropriate agency and chief inspector) insert—
“(6) In Northern Ireland, where the Department of the Environment gives directions to the chief inspector under this section for the purpose of implementing provisions of the HASS Directive the following requirements apply—
(a)any direction shall be published in such manner as the Department considers appropriate for the purpose of bringing the matters to which it relates to the attention of persons likely to be affected by it;
(b)copies of a direction shall be made available to the public;
(c)notice of a direction and of where a copy may be obtained shall be given in the Belfast Gazette;
(d)a direction shall be given only after consultation with the chief inspector; and
(e)no direction shall be varied or revoked unless, notwithstanding the variation or revocation, the provisions of the HASS Directive as they have effect for the time being which were implemented by that direction, continue to be implemented, whether by directions or any other instrument or by any enactment.”.