28.—(1) The Children (Parental Responsibility Agreement) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(1) are amended as follows.
(2) In regulation 2(2) (form of parental responsibility agreement), in paragraph (a), for “unmarried father” substitute “father who is not married or a civil partner”.
(3) After regulation 2 insert—
“2A.—(1) Where the agreement is under Article 7(1A)(b) of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (acquisition of parental responsibility by step-parents), the agreement is to be in the form set out in Part 1 of the Schedule but with the following modifications (including in the notes).
(2) For the Declaration and Agreement substitute—
We declare that we are [a parent of the child who has parental responsibility for the child, and the parent’s spouse or civil partner (“the step-parent”),] [the parents of the child who each have parental responsibility for the child, and the spouse or civil partner of one of the parents (“the step-parent”),] (delete whichever does not apply) and we agree that the step-parent is to have parental responsibility for the child (in addition to any parent of the child who has parental responsibility for the child).”.
(3) Except in the Declaration and Agreement—
(a)for references to the child’s father, substitute references to the step-parent; and
(b)for references to the child’s mother—
(i)substitute references to the parent who is the spouse, or civil partner, of the step-parent, or
(ii)where both of the child’s parents are entering into the agreement, substitute references to the child’s parents.”.
(4) In regulation 3—
(a)after paragraph (2) insert—
“(3) But where the agreement is under Article 7(1A)(b) of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (acquisition of parental responsibility by step-parents)—
(a)if the agreement is between the step-parent and both parents, paragraph (1) has effect as if it required three (rather than two) copies, and
(b)paragraph (2) has effect as if it required a sealed copy to be sent to each party to the agreement.”.
S.R. (N.I.) 1996 No. 455.
Regulation 2 was substituted (and the Schedule was re-numbered as Part 1 of the Schedule, and Part 2 of the Schedule was inserted) by paragraph 12 of Schedule 1, and by Schedule 2, to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Consequential Amendments and Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1892).