Section 16 Regulations about registration
75.Section 16 provides for regulation-making powers with respect to registration. Regulations covering applications for registration (subsection (1)(a)) will deal with matters such as the information that should be provided in the application. Regulations made under subsection (1)(b) may require certificates of registration to include, for example, the conditions of registration for that person in respect of that establishment or agency eg the categories of person a care home may accommodate.
76.Subsection (2) concerns fostering and adoption agencies. The appropriate Minister will be able to make regulations to provide that fostering agencies or voluntary adoption agencies which are unincorporated bodies are ineligible to apply to be registered. This provision restates section 9(1) of the Adoption Act in respect of voluntary adoption societies (which is to be repealed) and applies it to fostering agencies.
77.Subsection (3) enables regulations to be made requiring registered persons to pay an annual fee. These may be set at different levels or on a different basis for different types of organisation. Decisions will be made about the level and structuring of fees at a later date. Subsection (4) provides that unpaid fees may be recovered in the Magistrate’s court.