The National Care Standards Commission (Fees and Frequency of Inspections) (Adoption Agencies) Regulations 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations prescribe the fees that are to be paid by voluntary adoption agencies under Part II of the Care Standards Act 2000 and by local authorities under Part III of that Act in respect of the discharge of relevant adoption functions. They also make provision for the inspection by the National Care Standards Commission of voluntary adoption agencies and of the discharge by local authorities of their relevant adoption functions.

Regulations 3 to 5 make provision in respect of voluntary adoption agencies for the fees to be paid on an application for registration (regulation 3), an application for the variation or removal of any condition that is in force in relation to a registration (regulation 4) and the payment of an annual fee (regulation 5).

Regulation 6 prescribes the annual fee that is to be paid by a local authority discharging relevant adoption functions.

Regulations 7 and 8 make provision for the inspection of premises used for the purposes of a voluntary adoption agency and by a local authority for the purposes of the discharge of an authority’s relevant adoption functions.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared for these Regulations and a copy has been placed in the library of each House of Parliament. Copies of the Regulatory Impact Assessment can be obtained from the Department of Health’s website www.doh.gov.uk/regulatoryimpact/index.htm or www.doh.gov.uk/adoption/law.htm#ria, or from the Adoption, Permanence and Children’s Trusts Branch, Area 121, Wellington House, 133-155, Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8UG.