(1)In section 1 of the [1958 c. 65.] Children Act 1958 (visiting of foster children), the words " so far as appears to the authority to be appropriate " shall cease to have effect, and for the words " from time to time " there are substituted the words " in accordance with regulations made under section 2A of this Act ".
(2)In section 1A of the Children Act 1958 (visiting of foster children in Scotland) the words " where the local authority consider such a course to be necessary or expedient for the purposes of this section," shall cease to have effect, and for the words " from time to time" there are substituted the words " in accordance with regulations made under section 2A of this Act. ".
(3)The following section is inserted in the said Act after section 2—
(1)The Secretary of State may make regulations requiring foster children in a local authority's area to be visited by an officer of the local authority on specified occasions or within specified periods of time.
(2)Every person who is maintaining a foster child within the area of a local authority on the date on which regulations made under subsection (1) of this section come into operation, and who before that date has not given notice in respect of the child to the local authority under section 3(1) of this Act, shall within eight weeks of that date give written notice that he is maintaining the child to the local authority.
(3)Regulations under this section shall be made by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.”.
(4)In section 3 of the said Act, as it applies to England and Wales, (duty of persons maintaining foster children to notify local authority)—
(a)in subsection (5A), for the words " one or more foster children " there are substituted the words " a foster child " , and for the words " foster children" and " any foster children " there are substituted the words " that foster child " ;
(b)in subsection (5B) for the words " foster children " there are substituted the words " a foster child " , and for the words " any of them as a " there is substituted the word " that " ; and
(c)the following subsection is added at the end—
“(8)Subsection (2A) of this section shall cease to have effect on the date regulations made under section 2A of this Act come into operation.”.