The Parental Orders (Human Fertilisation and Embryology) Regulations 1994

Citation, commencement, interpretation and extent

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Parental Orders (Human Fertilisation and Embryology) Regulations 1994 and shall come into force on 1st November 1994.

(2) In these Regulations unless the context otherwise requires—

“the 1990 Act” means the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990;

“the 1976 Act” means the Adoption Act 1976(1) and references to sections are to sections of the 1976 Act;

“the Order” means the Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987(2) and references to articles are to articles of the Order;

“parental order” means an order under section 30 of the 1990 Act (parental orders in favour of gamete donors) providing for a child to be treated in law as a child of the parties to a marriage.

(3) These Regulations extend to England and Wales and Northern Ireland.

Application of Adoption Act 1976 provisions with modifications to parental orders and applications for such orders

2.  The provisions of the 1976 Act set out in column 1 of Schedule 1 to these Regulations shall have effect with the modifications (if any) set out in column 2 of that Schedule in relation to parental orders made in England and Wales and applications for such orders, as they have effect in relation to adoption and applications for adoption orders.

Application of Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987 provisions with modifications to parental orders and applications for such orders

3.  The provisions of the Order set out in column 1 of Schedule 2 to these Regulations shall have effect with the modifications (if any) set out in column 2 of that Schedule in relation to parental orders made in Northern Ireland and applications for such orders as they have effect in relation to adoption and applications for adoption orders.

References in enactments to be read as references to parental orders etc

4.  Schedule 3 shall have effect so that the references mentioned in column 2, where they appear in the enactments mentioned in relation to them in column 1, shall be read in relation to parental orders and applications for such orders as provided for in column 2.

Virginia Bottomley

One of Her Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State

Department of Health

28th October 1994