4(1)The Countryside Act 1968 shall be amended as follows.
(2)In section 15 (areas of special scientific interest)—
(a)in subsection (2), the words “in the national interest” shall be omitted and, after the words “any such land” there shall be inserted the words “ (or of any adjacent land) ”; and
(b)after subsection (6), there shall be inserted the following subsection—
“(6A)In this section references to “the Nature Conservancy Council” or “the Council” are references to the Nature Conservancy Council for England, the Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland or the Council, according as the land in question is in England, Scotland or Wales”.
(3)In section 37 (protection for interests in countryside) for the words “Nature Conservancy Council” there shall be substituted the words “ , the Council, the Nature Conservancy Council for England and the Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland ”.