17.—(1) The regulator may charge a fee in connection with—
(a)an application for registration,
(b)an application for annotation under regulation 12(1),
(c)an application for renewal of registration,
(d)an application for restoration to the register.
(2) Any fee charged by the regulator under paragraph (1)—
(a)may be set at a level which exceeds the cost of dealing with the application in respect of which it is charged,
(b)must be set with a view to ensuring that, so far as possible, the regulator's fee income in any year does not exceed the regulator's expenses in the same year.
(3) The regulator must make rules in relation to the charging of any fee under paragraph (1), setting out—
(a)the amount of any fee payable,
(b)the time within which any fee is to be paid,
(c)the circumstances in which a fee—
(i)is not chargeable,
(ii)may be reduced,
(iii)may be refunded, in whole or in part, or
(iv)may be waived, and
(d)the steps the regulator may take in the event that a fee charged under paragraph (1) is not paid within the time set, including—
(i)refusing to make, annotate, renew or restore an entry,
(ii)removing an entry, or part of an entry, after first warning the registered social worker, and
(iii)recovery of the fee as a civil debt,
provided that the rules may only allow the regulator to take such a step where the regulator considers it is reasonable to do so.
(4) The regulator must pay any fee income received under this regulation to the Secretary of State, unless the Secretary of State with the consent of the Treasury directs otherwise.