15—(1) A marine plan is “adopted” by the Department when the Department has decided to publish the plan (and “adopt” and related expressions are to be read accordingly).E+W+S+N.I.N.I.
(2) A marine plan which includes provisions relating to retained functions may be so adopted only with the agreement of the Secretary of State.
(3) The marine plan which the Department decides to publish may be—
(a)the same as the proposals published in the consultation draft, or
(b)those proposals with such modifications as the Department thinks fit.
(4) The Department must publish the marine plan as soon as reasonably practicable after its adoption, together with statements of each of the following—
(a)any modifications that have been made to the proposals published in the consultation draft,
(b)the reasons for those modifications,
(c)if any recommendations made by any independent person appointed under paragraph 13 have not been implemented in the marine plan, the reasons why those recommendations have not been implemented.