The Sexual Offences Act 2003 (Prescribed Police Stations) (Scotland) Regulations 2004

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations extend to Scotland only.

Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (“the 2003 Act”) re-enacts Part I of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 (c. 51) (“the 1997 Act”), with modifications. These Regulations therefore replace with amendments the Sex Offenders (Notification Requirements) (Prescribed Police Stations) (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 2001 (the “2001 Regulations”) which were made under equivalent powers in the 1997 Act. The 2003 Act specifies that relevant offenders are subject to requirements to notify certain personal details to the police. Section 87(1) of the 2003 Act provides for such notifications to be given by attending any police station in a person’s local police area which is prescribed in regulations. These Regulations prescribe these police stations. “Local police area” is defined in section 88(3) of the 2003 Act. The relevant offenders' obligations are to supply an initial notification to police, to notify them of changes in their notifiable details, to notify the police periodically after the initial notification, and to comply with notification requirements in respect of travel outside the United Kingdom.

Fourteen of the police stations in the Lothian and Borders police area that were prescribed in the 2001 Regulations have been removed from these Regulations for the purposes of relevant offender notification. Falkirk Police Station is no longer prescribed as a police station for the Central Scotland police area. Four police stations have also been added to the Strathclyde police area.