Part 3Miscellaneous and final provisions
Chapter 1Miscellaneous
Adoption and Children Act Register
129 Disclosure of information
F11
Information entered in the register, or compiled from information entered in the register, may only be disclosed under subsection (2)F2, (2A) or (3) or section 128A.
2
Prescribed information entered in the register may be disclosed by the Secretary of State or the registration organisation—
a
where an adoption agency is acting on behalf of a child who is suitable for adoption F12or for whom a local authority in England is considering adoption, to the agency to assist in finding prospective adopters with whom it would be appropriate for the child to be placed,
b
where an adoption agency is acting on behalf of prospective adopters who are suitable to adopt a child, to the agency to assist in finding a child appropriate for adoption by them.
F32A
Regulations may make provision permitting the disclosure of prescribed information entered in the register, or compiled from information entered in the register—
a
to an adoption agency or to a Welsh, Scottish or Northern Irish adoption agency for any prescribed purpose, or
b
for the purpose of enabling the information to be entered in a register which is maintained in respect of Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland and which contains information about children who are suitable for adoption or prospective adopters who are suitable to adopt a child.
3
Prescribed information entered in the register, or compiled from information entered in the register, may be disclosed by the Secretary of State or the registration organisation to any prescribed person for use for statistical or research purposes, or for other prescribed purposes.
4
5
Subsection (1) does not apply —
a
to a disclosure of information with the authority of the Secretary of State,F6...
F6b
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6
Information disclosed to any person under subsection (2)F7, (2A) or (3) may be given on any prescribed terms or conditions.
7
F8Regulations may, in prescribed circumstances, require a prescribed fee to be paid to the Secretary of State or the registration organisation—
a
by a prescribed adoption agency in respect of information disclosed under subsection (2) F9or (2A),
F10aa
by a prescribed Welsh, Scottish or Northern Irish adoption agency in respect of information disclosed under subsection (2A), or
b
by a person F11in respect of information disclosed under subsection (2A) or (3).
8
If any information entered in the register is disclosed to a person in contravention of subsection (1), the person disclosing it is guilty of an offence.
9
A person guilty of an offence under subsection (8) is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or both.