Section 11 – Directions as regards plans and programmes
33.Section 11 provides that Scottish Ministers may, at any time, direct a Responsible Authority to send them a plan or programme and on consideration of it direct the Responsible Authority, as appropriate, to either enter the screening process or to carry out an environmental assessment. Section 11 helps facilitate compliance with the Act and should help to ensure that no qualifying plan deemed to have significant environmental effects will proceed without an environmental assessment being carried out.