The Secretary of State may—
appoint any person to exercise on his behalf, with or without payment, any function to which this paragraph applies; or
refer any item to which this paragraph applies to such person as the Secretary of State may appoint for the purpose, with or without payment.
The functions to which paragraph (a) of subsection (1) above applies are any of the Secretary of State's functions of determining—
an appeal under—
section 42B(5) of the Control of Pollution Act 1974,
section 4 of the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989,
section 15, 22(5), ... 59(2), 62(3)(c), ... 62ZA(6)(d), 78L or 78T of the Environmental Protection Act 1990,
paragraph 2 or paragraph 3(3) of Schedule 6 to the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991,
section 36A, 43, 51, ... 92, 96, 161C or 191B(5) of the Water Resources Act 1991,
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regulations ... , under section 61 of the Water Act 2014 extending to Scotland or under section 18 of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014,
regulations under section 2 of the Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999 extending to England and Wales or regulations under section 61 of the Water Act 2014 extending to England and Wales,
section 3 of the Water Act 2003,
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or any matter involved in such an appeal;
the questions, or any of the questions, which fall to be determined by the Secretary of State under section 39(1) or section 49(4) of the Control of Pollution Act 1974.
The items to which paragraph (b) of subsection (1) above applies are—
any matter involved in an appeal falling within subsection (2)(a) above;
any of the questions which fall to be determined by the Secretary of State under section 39(1) or section 49(4) of the Control of Pollution Act 1974.
Schedule 20 to this Act shall have effect with respect to appointments under subsection (1)(a) above.