Marine (Scotland) Act 2010

16 Monitoring of and periodical reporting on implementation of marine plans

(1) For so long as a national marine plan or (as the case may be) a regional marine plan is in effect, the Scottish Ministers must keep under review in relation to each such plan the matters in subsection (2).

(2) The matters are—

(a) the effects of the policies in the plan,

(b) the effectiveness of the policies in securing that the objectives for which the plan was prepared and adopted are met,

(c) the progress being made towards securing the objectives,

(d) the progress being made towards securing that the objectives in the regional marine plan secure the objectives in the national marine plan.

(3) The Scottish Ministers must from time to time prepare and publish a report on the matters kept under review in pursuance of subsection (1).

(4) After publishing a report under subsection (3), the Scottish Ministers must decide whether or not to amend or replace the national marine plan or (as the case may be) the regional marine plan.

(5) The first report must be published before the expiry of 5 years beginning with the date on which the marine plan concerned was adopted.

(6) After the publication of the first report, successive reports must be published at intervals of no more than 5 years following the date of publication of the previous report.

(7) Any reference in this section to the replacement of a national marine plan or (as the case may be) a regional marine plan is a reference to—

(a) preparing and adopting, in accordance with the provisions of this Part, a fresh national marine plan or (as the case may be) a regional marine plan (and as respects a regional marine plan whether or not it is for the identical Scottish marine region),

(b) if the Scottish Ministers have not already done so, withdrawing the marine plan that is to be replaced.