Section 59: Short title and commencement
468.This section provides a short title for the Act, which may be cited as the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.
469.Only sections 53, 56 and 59 of the Act come into force on Royal Assent. These provide powers in relation to orders and regulations, including orders making ancillary provision, and give effect to the short title and the power to bring the remainder of the Act into force.
470.The remaining provision of the Act will come into force on a date (or dates) appointed by the Scottish Ministers by means of a commencement order or orders. Commencement may take place in a number of stages (and see in particular the example of section 22, which is not intended to be commenced until the new SSSI Register has been fully developed).