18Duty to consider proposals for exercise of powers under sections 15 and 17
(1)If the Secretary of State receives a relevant proposal from a permitted authority, the Secretary of State must—
(a)consider the proposal, and
(b)notify the permitted authority of what action, if any, the Secretary of State will take in relation to the proposal.
(2)The Secretary of State may by regulations specify criteria to which the Secretary of State must have regard in considering a relevant proposal.
(3)For the purposes of this section, a “relevant proposal” is a proposal—
(a)for the exercise of the Secretary of State’s powers in sections 15 and 17 in relation to the permitted authority, and
(b)that is accompanied by such information and evidence as the Secretary of State may specify by regulations.
(4)Before making regulations under this section, the Secretary of State must consult such persons as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.