s 5 Competent authority
5.—(1) The Minister may —(a) appoint one or more public officers to each be a competent authority for the purposes of this Act in general; or (b) appoint one or more public officers to each be a competent authority for the purposes of a particular provision of this Act. (2) The Minister may from time to time give a competent authority directions that —(a) are of a general character; (b) relate to the performance of the functions conferred on the competent authority by this Act; and (c) are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act. (3) The competent authority must give effect to those directions in performing his or her functions.