Schedule 1, Paragraph 27: Part 2: National Policy Statements Section 12 Pre-commencement statements of policy, consultation etc
75.Subsection (1) of this section provides that the Secretary of State may exercise her powers under section 5 to designate a statement as a national policy statement even if the statement was issued by the Secretary of State before section 5 comes into force, or if the statement refers to another statement so issued.
76.Subsection (2) prevents the Secretary of State from designating a pre-commencement statement where she thinks that there has been a significant and unanticipated change of circumstances, which if it had been anticipated, would have led to policy being materially different.
77.By virtue of subsection (4) of section 12 the Secretary of State may take account of appraisal carried out before section 5(2) comes into force for the purpose of complying with the requirements of section 5(2)..
78.Subsection (5) of section 12 enables the Secretary of State to take account of any consultation or publicity arranged before section 5 comes into force for the purpose of complying with the consultation and publicity requirements of section 7.