16.—(1) This regulation applies where an applicant submits to the Secretary of State, in relation to an EIA application which is before the Secretary of State or an inspector for determination or is the subject of an appeal to the Secretary of State, a statement which the applicant or appellant refers to as an environmental statement for the purposes of these Regulations.
(2) The applicant or appellant shall submit four copies of the statement to the Secretary of State who shall send one copy to the relevant planning authority.
(3) If at the same time as he submits a statement to the Secretary of State the applicant or appellant serves a copy of it on any other body, he shall comply with regulations 13(1)(a) and 13(1)(b) as if the reference in regulation 13(1)(b) to the relevant planning authority were a reference to the Secretary of State, and inform the Secretary of State of the matters mentioned in regulation 13(1)(c).
(4) The Secretary of State shall comply with regulation 13(2) (except sub-paragraph (a) of that regulation) and the applicant or appellant with regulation 13(3) as if—
(a)references in those provisions to the relevant planning authority were references to the Secretary of State; and,
(b)in the case of an appeal, references to the applicant were references to the appellant;
and the Secretary of State or the inspector shall comply with regulation 13(4) as if it referred to him instead of to the relevant planning authority.