9. 9. The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2017

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:29 pm on 24 October 2017.

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Photo of Rebecca Evans Rebecca Evans Labour 6:29, 24 October 2017

Thank you, Llywydd. I move the motion. The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, which was commenced in April last year, brings together local authorities’ duties and functions in relation to improving the well-being of people who need care and support and carers who need support into a single Act. The regulations before you today seek to make minor technical amendments to primary legislation as a consequence of the commencement of that Act.

Their purpose is largely to tidy up the statute books and provide clarity and consistency across primary legislation, where it has been impacted upon by our 2014 Act. Section 101(2) of the 2014 Act replicates the regulation-making power that exists in section 25C(2) of the Children’s Act 1989 in respect of children’s cases referred to Welsh family proceedings officers from local authority independent reviewing officers. The replicated power within section 25C(2) is therefore redundant and these regulations amend the 1989 Act to disapply this section in relation to Wales. These regulations also amend the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 by replacing a reference to section 6 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 with the updated reference to section 144 of the 2014 Act.

Finally, the regulations replace references to residence Orders throughout sections 76 and 81 of the 2014 Act with child arrangement Orders, the term used in the Children and Families Act 2014. These regulations, although minor in nature, are necessary to ensure a consistent approach to handling and terminology throughout primary legislation, and as such, I commend them to Members.