When a new law is proposed, like the Offshore Renewable Energy Bill, it can include extra information that is not part of the main law. This extra information is called a schedule. The schedule for this bill is about how the new law will work when it is first introduced. You will be affected by the new law when it comes into force. The people making the law want to make sure that any discussions or consultations that happened before the law starts will still be valid.

If someone was talking to people about making new rules under section 167 before the law starts, it will be treated as if they were following the rules in section 167(2). You might be wondering what happens to other discussions that were happening before the law starts. Any other discussions about things that need to be talked about under this new law will also be treated as if they were part of the new law.

The new law will have its own rules about how things should be done, and the schedule is helping to make sure that everything runs smoothly when the law comes into force. You can think of the schedule like a guide to help people understand how the new law will work. It is all part of making sure that the new law is fair and works well for everyone.