This section applies where the Commissioner publishes a report under section 8 containing recommendations in relation to—
any public authority that is a specified public authority for the purposes of section 15;
any government department in the charge of a Minister.
The relevant person must prepare comments on the report.
In this section “the relevant person” means—
the public authority, or
the Minister in charge of the government department,
as the case may be.
The comments must include, in respect of each recommendation made in the report, an explanation of—
the action which the relevant person has taken, or proposes to take, in response to the recommendation, or
why the relevant person has not taken, or does not propose to take, any action in response.
The relevant person must arrange for the comments to be published in such manner as the person considers appropriate.
The comments must be published before the end of the period of 56 days beginning with the day on which the report is published.
The relevant person must send a copy of anything published under subsection (5) to—
the Commissioner, and
where the relevant person is a specified public authority for the purposes of section 15, the Secretary of State.