This section has effect with a view to enabling the appropriate national authority, either on an application made by any person (the "original applicant") or of its own accord, to approve a particular type of building matter as complying, either generally or in a class of case, with particular requirements of building regulations.
An application for the approval under subsection (1) above of a type of building matter shall comply with any requirements of building regulations as to the form of such applications and the particulars to be included in them.
Where under subsection (1) above the appropriate national authority approves a type of building matter as complying with particular requirements of building regulations either generally or in a class of case, it may issue a certificate to that effect specifying—
A certificate under subsection (3) above, if it so provides, ceases to have effect at the end of such period as may be specified in the certificate.
If, while a certificate under subsection (3) above is in force, it is found, in a particular case involving building matter of the type to which the certificate relates, that—
that building matter shall in that particular case be deemed to comply with the requirements of building regulations to which the certificate relates.
The appropriate national authority may vary a certificate under subsection (3) above, either on an application made to it or of its own accord.
Building regulations may require a person making an application under subsection (1), (6) or (8) to pay the appropriate national authority the prescribed fee, and—
The appropriate national authority may revoke a certificate issued under subsection (3) above, either on an application or of the appropriate national authority's own accord.
The regulator may at any time make a proposal to the Secretary of State for—
Before making a proposal, the regulator must consult—
Before giving an approval or varying or revoking a certificate under this section, unless acting on a proposal of the regulator, the Secretary of State must consult—
Before varying or revoking a certificate issued on an application under subsection (1), the Welsh Ministers must give the original applicant reasonable notice that they propose to do so (except in the case of a variation or revocation made on the application of that person).
Where the appropriate national authority issues a certificate under subsection (3) above or varies or revokes a certificate so issued, it shall publish notice of that fact in such manner as it thinks fit.
If at any time a certificate under subsection (3) above ceases to have effect by virtue of subsection (4) above, or is varied or revoked under subsection (6) or (8) above, that fact does not affect the continued operation of subsection (5) above by virtue of that certificate in a case in which before that time—
For the purposes of subsection (3) above, or of any variation of a certificate under subsection (6) above, a class of case may be framed in any way that the appropriate national authority thinks fit.
In this section, "building matter" has the same meaning as in section 11 above.