9.—(1) After receiving a screening decision that a project is a significant project, but before applying for consent, the applicant may ask the Welsh Ministers to provide their opinion on what information must be included in an environmental statement (“a scoping opinion”).
(2) If the applicant requests a scoping opinion, the Welsh Ministers must consult the applicant and such of the consultation bodies as they think fit before providing their opinion.
(3) If the Welsh Ministers consider that they do not have sufficient information to provide a scoping opinion, they may ask the applicant to supply any additional information they require within 28 days of the date on which the Welsh Ministers receive the request for the scoping opinion.
(4) The Welsh Ministers must provide the applicant with the scoping opinion within five weeks of—
(a)the date they received the scoping opinion; or
(b)where applicable, the date they received the additional information under paragraph (3).