Commentary on provisions of the Act Part 2: Qualifying authorities Specification of qualifying authorities
Paragraph 13 requires the Secretary of State, by means of an order, to name "qualifying authorities" for the purposes of Schedule 17. These are the local planning authorities which have given the Secretary of State satisfactory undertakings about the handling of planning requests. These authorities are identified in regulations made immediately after Royal Assent.
	Paragraph 13 also allows the Secretary of State to make orders revoking "qualifying authority" status and to make subsequent naming orders in certain circumstances. Before making such an order, the Secretary of State is to consult the nominated undertaker and, if it is not the body requesting the order, the relevant local planning authority.