51.Under section 2 of the 2000 Act, the Scottish Ministers may propose that an area be designated as a National Park if certain conditions are met, known as a National Park proposal. Section 5(3) inserts a new section into the 2000 Act to require advice to be provided to the Scottish Ministers before a National Park proposal is made and section 5(2) requires that the Scottish Ministers have regard to that advice before making a proposal.
52.In new section 2A of the 2000 Act, subsection (1) requires that before a National Park proposal is made, expert advice must be sought from such persons as the Scottish Ministers consider to have relevant expertise. The relevant expertise must be in relation to the National Park aims and the conditions for designation set out in section 2(2) of the 2000 Act. The advice sought must cover the matters set out in subsection (2), which are:
	the management needs of the area,
	whether designation of the area as a National Park could improve the area’s management,
	whether designation of the area as a National Park could assist in meeting the special needs of the area, and
	anything else that the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate (as long as it relates to the designation of a National Park).
53.As soon as reasonably practicable after the advice has been provided, the Scottish Ministers must lay a copy of the advice before the Scottish Parliament (subsection (3)).
The Act National Park Proposals Section 5 – Advice before making National Park proposals