The State Awards (Amendment) Regulations 1988

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the State Awards Regulations 1978 relating to the bestowal of State Awards. Changes are made in the rules of eligibility for migrant workers of the European Community and their children contained in Schedule 2. The main effect of the changes is that a European Community migrant worker will no longer have to have been in employment in the United Kingdom for a period of nine months nor be seeking an award in respect of a course provided by a vocational training establishment to be eligible for an award. Instead they will be eligible for an award where they are so eligible by virtue of Article 7(2) or (3) or Article 12 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1612/68 on freedom of movement for workers within the Community and where they satisfy a test of a minimum period of ordinary residence in the Community or (prior to their accession) Spain and Portugal.

In the light of the general principle contained in section 1(1) of the Family Law Reform Act 1987 (c. 42) a reference to a son or daughter will include an illegitimate child. The reference to illegitimate children in paragraph 4(2) of Schedule 2 (concerning children of refugees) has therefore been omitted.