The Social Fund Cold Weather Payments (General) Amendment Regulations 2007

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Social Fund Cold Weather Payments (General) Regulations 1988 (SI 1988/1724) (“the 1988 Regulations”) by substituting new Schedules to those Regulations in relation to the lists of weather stations and applicable postcode districts in Schedule 1, and alternative weather stations in Schedule 2.

Schedule 1 to the 1988 Regulations specifies primary weather stations which are relevant to determining whether there is a recorded, or forecasted, period of cold weather. Schedule 2 to the 1988 Regulations specifies alternative stations used to determine this information where the primary station is unable to do so (where there is no specified alternative station, the nearest station to the primary station able to provide this information is used).

Regulation 3 replaces Schedule 1 to the 1988 Regulations with Schedule 1 to these Regulations. The new Schedule largely re-enacts the list contained in the former Schedule 1, but it assigns postcodes from Boltshope Park and Capel Curig weather stations (which have been, or are about to be, closed) to various weather stations including a new weather station, Redesdale, which is added to the scheme. Weybourne will no longer be a primary weather station for the scheme and postcodes have been assigned to a new, more representative weather station, Norwich Airport. It assigns the postcodes from St. Mawgan, which will no longer be used as a primary station, to Culdrose, provides for certain other changes to the postcode and weather station linkages and introduces four other new stations (Charterhall, Filton, Shap and Trawsgoed) to the scheme.

Regulation 4 replaces Schedule 2 to the 1988 Regulations with Schedule 2 to these Regulations. The new Schedule largely re-enacts the list contained in the former Schedule 2. It omits St. Catherine’s Point (which is a primary station specified in Schedule 1) as it is the closest primary station to Hurn (Bournmouth Airport) and does not need to be specified in Schedule 2 to provide temperature information if Hurn (Bournmouth Airport) cannot do so. It also includes Keswick, which is a non-primary weather station, as the specified alternative station for the new weather station Shap.

The Postcode Atlas of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the postcode maps may be obtained from their publishers. A person may establish the current postcode for his or her address by contacting the Royal Mail Postcode Enquiries Office (telephone [phone]) or through the Royal Mail website at www.royalmail.com.

A full regulatory impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as it has no impact on the costs of business, charities or voluntary bodies.