Water Resources Act 1963

21 Additional powers of Minister in relation to minimum acceptable flows

(1) Where a draft statement relating to any inland waters is submitted to the Minister under section 19 or section 20 of this Act, and is not approved thereunder, with or without modifications, the Minister, after consultation with the Water Resources Board and the river authority by whom the statement was submitted, may require the Board to prepare and submit to him a draft statement relating to those inland waters.

(2) The Water Resources Board, where required to do so under the preceding subsection, shall prepare and submit to the Minister a draft statement accordingly; and the provisions of Part III, and, where applicable, Part IV, of Schedule 7 to this Act shall have effect with respect to any draft statement submitted under this subsection and with respect to the approval of statements submitted as draft statements thereunder.

(3) Without prejudice to the provisions of the last preceding section as to the amendment of statements in pursuance of proposals submitted by river authorities, the Minister may at any time himself prepare proposals for amending any statement of minimum acceptable flows for the time being in force; and the provisions of Part III, and, where applicable, Part IV, of Schedule 7 to this Act shall have affect with respect to any proposals of the Minister for amending such a statement under this subsection:

Provided that, before preparing proposals under this subsection with respect to any inland water, the Minister, except where he is acting on the application of the river authority in whose area the inland water is situated, shall consult that river authority and the Water Resources Board.

(4) The provisions of section 19(3) to (5) of this Act shall apply (with the necessary modifications) to draft statements submitted to the Minister, and to proposals of the Minister, under this section; and in section 20 of this Act any reference to a statement approved under section 19 of this Act shall be construed as including a reference to a statement approved under this section.