9. Regulation 9 of the principal regulations (pre-payment certificates) is amended as follows:
(a)in paragraph (1)—
(i)for “a Health Authority” there is substituted “the Secretary of State”; and
(ii)for “who duly completes and submits an application for it on a form provided for the purpose” there is substituted—
who provides the Secretary of State with all the information the Secretary of State requires to determine an application, by—
(a)duly completing and submitting an application for it on a form provided for the purpose; or
(b)providing the Secretary of State with that information in a manner that is acceptable to the Secretary of State”
(b)for paragraph (4) there is substituted—
“(4) A pre-payment certificate shall be valid—
(a)from a date before the application is made, where that date—
(i)was specified by the applicant when making the application; and
(ii)is no more than one month prior to the date upon which the application was made under paragraph (1); or
(b)from a date after the application is made, where that date—
(i)was specified by the applicant when making the application; and
(ii)is no more than one month after the date upon which the application was made under paragraph (1); or
(c)if the applicant does not specify a date under sub-paragraphs (a)(i) and (b)(i), from the date upon which the application is received.”;
(c)in paragraph (13) for “Health Authority which received the prescribed sum” there is substituted “Secretary of State”; and
(d)in paragraph (15) for “Health Authority shall accept it if the Secretary of State is” there is substituted “Secretary of State shall accept it if”.