17 Agency arrangements and joint operationsS
(1)A National Park authority may arrange for any of its functions to be exercised on its behalf by a local authority or another National Park authority; and the local authority or other National Park authority may exercise those functions accordingly.
(2)A local authority or other public body may arrange for any of its functions, so far as exercisable in relation to a National Park, to be exercised on its behalf by a National Park authority; and the National Park authority may exercise those functions accordingly.
(3)In subsection (2), “functions” does not include—
(a)a function of making subordinate legislation,
(b)any function conferred by this Act.
(4)Two or more National Park authorities may arrange to exercise any of their functions jointly.
(5)An arrangement under subsection (4) may provide for the exercise of the functions in question by a joint committee of the authorities or by an officer of one of them.
(6)An arrangement under subsection (4) providing for the exercise of functions by a joint committee may provide for persons who are not members of any of the authorities making the arrangement to be members of the committee, but a majority of the members of the committee must be members of such an authority.
(7)The authorities making the arrangement must pay to a member of a joint committee appointed by virtue of subsection (6) such remuneration and allowances (if any) as the Scottish Ministers may determine.
(8)Such a joint committee must comply with directions given to it by the authorities making the arrangement.
(9)An arrangement under this section does not affect the responsibility of the authority or body making the arrangement for the exercise of its functions.