The Adoption Information and Intermediary Services (Pre-Commencement Adoptions) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2015

Amendment of the Adoption Information and Intermediary Services (Pre-Commencement Adoptions) (Wales) Regulations 2005

12.  In regulation 12 (contacting the appropriate adoption agency)—

(a) for paragraph (2) substitute—

“(2) The steps referred to in paragraph (1) include—

(a) requesting in writing from the Registrar General any information under regulation 13 that may be relevant for this purpose;

(b) requesting in writing from the court that made the adoption order information about the identity of the appropriate adoption agency;

(c) making enquiries of the local authority for the area where the adoption took place.”;

(b) in paragraph (3) after “the intermediary agency must” insert “take all reasonable steps to”;

(c) for paragraph (4)(a) substitute—

“(a) ascertain whether the adopted person has, at any time, expressed views to the agency about—

(i) any future contact with any relative;

(ii) any future contact between people with a prescribed relationship to the adopted person and relatives of the adopted person;

(iii) being approached with regard to such contact; and”;

(d) for paragraph (4)(c) substitute—

“(c) seek any other information required for the purposes of—

(i) tracing the adopted person and, where the adopted person is not the subject, any other subject;

(ii) enabling the adopted person to make an informed decision as to whether to consent to—

(aa) the disclosure of identifying information about him or her;

(bb) an application proceeding to facilitate contact between a relative of the adopted person and a person with a prescribed relationship to the adopted person; or

(cc) contact with the applicant;

(iii) enabling any other subject to make an informed decision as to whether to consent to—

(aa) the disclosure of identifying information about him or her; or

(bb) contact with the applicant;

(iv) counselling the subject and, where he or she is not the subject, the adopted person in relation to that decision; and

(v) counselling the applicant.”;

(e) in paragraph (5) after “a request from an intermediary agency under paragraph (4)” insert “or under corresponding English provision”;

(f) after paragraph (5) insert—

“(6) An “intermediary agency” (“asiantaeth gyfryngol”) for the purposes of paragraph (5) includes an intermediary agency as defined under corresponding English provision.”