Section 97: Procedure rules
178.This section enables the Lord Chancellor, and, in the case of certain oil or gas cross-country pipe-lines, the Secretary of State, to make procedural rules for the examination of applications. Subsections (1) and (4) are based on the general rule-making powers conferred by section 9 of the Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1992. Subsection (3) is included to enable rules to make provision about site visits, including site visits where the applicant is neither the owner nor occupier of the land concerned. Subsection (7) follows the 1992 Act by providing for the rules to be subject to the negative resolution procedure in Parliament.