Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004

54 Guidance

(1) The Scottish Ministers may issue guidance (or approve guidance issued by others) containing recommendations, advice and information for the assistance of—

(a) public bodies and office-holders in complying with the duty under section 1(1) to further the conservation of biodiversity,

(b) SNH in exercising its functions under Part 2, and

(c) persons affected or likely to be affected by the exercise by SNH of any of those functions,

and may issue revisions of any guidance issued by them (or approve revisions of guidance issued by others).

(2) Guidance issued or approved under subsection (1)(b) may, in particular, contain information—

(a) as to the circumstances in which SNH should, for the purposes of section 3(1), 5(1) or 9(1), consider land to be of special interest or, as the case may be, no longer to be of special interest,

(b) as to circumstances in which, and the terms and conditions on which, SNH should offer to enter into a management agreement,

(c) as to the amounts which SNH should pay to persons carrying out operations specified in land management orders.

(3) Before issuing or approving guidance under subsection (1), the Scottish Ministers must consult SNH and such persons appearing to them to represent other interests concerned as they think fit.

(4) The Scottish Ministers must publish any guidance issued by them under subsection (1) in such manner (including on the internet or by other electronic means) as they think fit.