# Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026, Section 5: Advice before making National Park proposals

Extent: S

(1) The National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 is modified as follows.
(2) In section 2, after subsection (2) insert—
“(2A) Before making a proposal under subsection (1) the Scottish Ministers must have regard to advice provided under section 2A.”.
(3) After section 2, insert—
“Advice before making a National Park proposal
2A (1) Before making a National Park proposal, the Scottish Ministers must seek expert advice on the matters set out in subsection (2) from such persons as the Scottish Ministers consider to have expertise relevant to the National Park aims and the conditions for designation set out in section 2(2).
(2) The matters are, in relation to the National Park aims and conditions for designation—
(a) the management needs of the area,
(b) whether designation as a National Park could—
(i) improve the management of the area, and
(ii) help to meet the special needs of the area, and
(c) such other matters relating to the designation of a National Park as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate.
(3) The Scottish Ministers must, as soon as reasonably practicable after the expert advice has been provided, lay a copy of the advice before the Scottish Parliament.”.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2026/6/section/5 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/natural-environment-scotland-act-2026/section-5
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.