If it appears to the appropriate national authority, in the case of a community patient, that the conditions mentioned in subsection (2) below are met, the authority may authorise the transfer of responsibility for him to Scotland.
The conditions are—
a transfer under this section is in the patient's interests; and
arrangements have been made for dealing with him under enactments in force in Scotland corresponding or similar to those relating to community patients in this Act.
The appropriate national authority may not act under subsection (1) above while the patient is recalled to hospital under section 17E above.
In this section, "the appropriate national authority" means—
in relation to a community patient in respect of whom the responsible hospital is in England, the Secretary of State;
in relation to a community patient in respect of whom the responsible hospital is in Wales, the Welsh Ministers.