s 26 Duty to have regard to guidance
(1) A relevant authority must have regard to any guidance given by the Secretary of State as to the performance of the duty under section 23 (1) . (2) Guidance for the purposes of this section may in particular include guidance about— (a) how the duty under section 23 (1) applies in relation to a particular relevant authority or to relevant authorities of a particular description; (b) outcomes which a relevant authority should seek to achieve in performing the duty. (3) Before giving guidance, the Secretary of State must consult— (a) those relevant authorities to which the guidance relates, and (b) such other persons as the Secretary of State considers appropriate. (4) In this section, “ relevant authority ” has the same meaning as in section 23 .