64.Section 13 inserts new section 91A into the Adoption and Children Act 2002. Section 91A(2) provides the Secretary of State with the power to charge a fee to adopters or prospective adopters for services provided or to be provided by the Secretary of State in relation to intercountry adoptions. Section 91A(3) gives the National Assembly for Wales the power to charge a fee for the services provided or to be provided by it as the Central Authority in Convention cases.
65.The Secretary of State and the Assembly may determine how much to charge, and may in particular charge a single flat fee or set different fees for different cases, providing the fee income received, taking one financial year with another, is not greater than the cost of providing the services. The section also provides the Secretary of State and the Assembly with discretion to waive the fee in any given case.