51.This section amends section 98(1) of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (“the 2002 Act”). Section 98(1) of the 2002 Act allows regulations to be made to facilitate contact between persons adopted before 30 December 2005 (when the 2002 Act came into force) and their birth relatives, Section 1 extends this regulation making power so that regulations can also make provision to facilitate contact between persons with a prescribed relationship to a person adopted before 30 December 2005 and the adopted person’s birth relatives.
52.Persons prescribed under these regulations will include the direct line of descendants of the adopted person (i.e. children, grandchildren) but the Department for Education intends to consult on whether it is appropriate for others, such as spouses and siblings of descendants, to be able to access the same services.