Appointment of technical adviserE+W
8.—(1) If it appears to the Welsh Ministers that evidence to be given to the inquiry is, or is likely to be, of such technical or scientific nature that the inquiry would be conducted more efficiently and expeditiously if an expert and independent assessment of that evidence were to be made, they may at any time appoint a technical adviser for that purpose.
(2) A technical adviser is a person appearing to the Welsh Ministers to have such qualifications and experience as enable the technical adviser to conduct an expert assessment of scientific or technical evidence to be given to the inquiry.
(3) Where the Welsh Ministers appoint a technical adviser, they may in writing require the applicant to publish by local advertisement and within such period as they may specify a notice stating the name of the person so appointed and specifying the evidence to be assessed.
(4) Where the Welsh Ministers require the applicant to publish a notice under paragraph (3), as soon as reasonably practicable after the applicant has complied with that paragraph the Welsh Ministers must publish that notice on a website.
(5) The technical adviser must, in consultation with the persons entitled to appear either jointly or separately, assess the evidence so specified and must report that assessment in writing to the inspector.
(6) The technical adviser's report must include a description of any areas of disagreement between the parties and must state the technical adviser's view of the significance of each such disagreement.
(7) The inspector must circulate the technical adviser's report within seven days of receiving it.
(8) The technical adviser must give evidence on the technical adviser's report at the inquiry and is subject to cross-examination to the same extent as any other witness.
(9) The inspector may allow the technical adviser to alter or add to the technical adviser's report so far as may be necessary for the purposes of the inquiry; but the inspector must (if necessary by adjourning the inquiry) give every other person entitled to appear who is appearing at the inquiry an adequate opportunity of considering any such alteration or addition.