(1)As soon as a flood risk management plan is submitted to the Scottish Ministers under section 27 or 33, SEPA must—
(a)publicise that fact, and
(b)make copies of the plan available for public inspection.
(2)A flood risk management plan submitted to the Scottish Ministers by SEPA must be accompanied by a statement—
(a)of the action taken by SEPA to comply with subsections (2) and (so far as relating to the draft plan) (3) to (5) of section 30,
(b)containing a summary of the views and representations referred to in subsection (8) of that section and of any adjustments made to the plan in light of those views and representations.
(3)If the Scottish Ministers, having considered the statement, are of the opinion that further consultation should be undertaken or other action taken by SEPA in relation to the plan under subsections (2) to (5) of section 30, they may return the plan to SEPA and direct it—
(a)to undertake such further consultation and take such further action under those subsections as they may specify, and
(b)to resubmit the plan with such modifications, if any, as SEPA considers appropriate by such date as the direction may specify.
(4)Where the Scottish Ministers return the plan to SEPA under subsection (3), they must state their reasons for doing so.
(5)This section applies, with the necessary modifications, in relation to a flood risk management plan resubmitted to the Scottish Ministers in pursuance of subsection (3)(b) as it applies to the plan as originally submitted.