The 'Marine Plan Areas' are 11 sub-areas of the 'English inshore and offshore marine planning regions'. The marine plan authority (the Secretary of State in England) is responsible for preparing marine plans for these 11 plan areas with responsibility for plan development delegated to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). The MMO may wish to make specific local modifications to boundaries if it is perceived that the proposed boundaries could lead to unnecessary difficulties with either the implementation of the Marine Policy Statement or the integration with planning and management mechanisms on land. The boundaries will be subject to stakeholder consultation through the Statement of Public Participation - a process undertaken at the start of plan making.