As soon as an administrative scheme has been submitted to the Minister, the council submitting the scheme shall publish in one or more newspapers circulating in their area a notice stating that the scheme has been so submitted and that a copy thereof is open to inspection at a specified place, and that representations thereon may be made to the Minister within four weeks after the publication of the notice, and in the case of a scheme submitted by a county council shall send a copy of the scheme to the council of each district wholly or partly within the county.

No scheme so submitted to the Minister shall be of any effect unless and until it is approved by the Minister, and the Minister, after considering any representations with respect to the scheme which may be submitted to him within four weeks after the publication of such notice as aforesaid by any local authorities and other parties who appear to him to be interested, and after consultation (if and so far as the scheme relates to education) with the Board of Education, may approve the scheme with or without modifications.

If a council fail to submit to the Minister an administrative scheme within the time allowed for the purpose, the Minister may, after consultation with such local authorities as appear to him to be interested, and (if and so far as the scheme relates to education) with the Board of Education, himself make an administrative scheme, but before making such a scheme the Minister shall publish in one or more newspapers circulating in the area to which the scheme VII relate a notice stating his intention to make the scheme, and that a copy of the draft scheme is open to inspection at a specified place and that representations thereon may be made to the Minister within lour weeks after the publication of the notice, and shall consider any representations which may be submitted to him within that period, and any scheme so made shall have effect as if it were a scheme submitted by the council and approved by the Minister.