The Act Management Section 30 - Power to vary procedures for orders, etc. relating to certain fisheries
92.Section 30 amends the 2003 Act to clarify the scope of the Scottish Ministers’ powers to vary by order the procedural requirements for applications for designation, estuary limits and close time orders, and conservation and baits and lures regulations set out in schedule 1 to the 2003 Act. Separate provision is made in relation to the variation of the procedures as regards regulations made under section 33 of the 2003 Act.
93.Section 30(2) adds a new subsection (8) to section 33 of the 2003 Act (baits and lures regulations). New subsection (8)(a) enables the Scottish Ministers to vary section 33(2) to (5) of the 2003 Act, which subsections contain provision in relation to who may make an application for regulations and what an application must comprise. New subsection (8)(b) makes similar provision for Ministers to vary the provisions of paragraphs 9B to 15 of schedule 1 to the 2003 Act, which also make provision for applications for regulations under section 33 of the 2003 Act.
94.Section 30(3) repeals section 35(4) of the 2003 Act. That provision provided Ministers with a power to vary, by order, certain paragraphs of schedule 1 to the 2003 Act. The effect of the amendments under section 30 is to clarify that Ministers’ section 35(4) power was intended to extend to the procedural provisions in schedule 1 to the 2003 Act as regards all orders and regulations that could be made under sections 33 and 35-38 of the 2003 Act. Accordingly, section 35(4) is repealed and clarifying provision is made to amend the 2003 Act in section 30(2) and (4).
95.Section 30(4) amends section 39 of the 2003 Act to add new subsections (2) to (4). Subsection (2) provides that Ministers may by order vary the provisions of schedule 1 to the 2003 Act. The power will enable the Scottish Ministers to vary, for example, prescribed methods of advertisement or consultation to take account of developments in information technology.