Section 127: Use of an organisation as agency for payments
314.Section 127 provides that the Order in Council may enable an organisation maintaining the register on the Secretary of State’s behalf to act as an agent for the payment or receipt of sums payable by adoption agencies to other adoption agencies. This could be used, for example, to enable the organisation to manage the payment of “inter-agency fees” (see paragraph 50 above) between adoption agencies in respect of matches suggested by the register.
315.The Secretary of State may issue general or special directions in respect of the way in which the organisation is to perform the functions under this section (subsection (2)). If the Secretary of State issues such directions he must first obtain the agreement of Scottish Ministers, if this provision applies to Scotland, and of the National Assembly for Wales, if this provision applies to Wales (subsection (3)).