The Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2007

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000 (“the Principal Regulations”).

Regulation 3 amends regulation 2 of the Principal Regulations so as to introduce definitions of “organisation” and “organisational badge” to replace those of “institution” and “institutional badge”. This change of nomenclature arises from an amendment to section 21(4) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 made by paragraph 41 of Schedule 1 to the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. Other amendments consequential upon that paragraph are made by regulations 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of these Regulations.

Regulation 4 revokes spent provisions in regulation 3 of the Principal Regulations.

Regulation 5 modifies the descriptions of persons to whom a disabled person’s badge may be issued as set out in regulation 4 of the Principal Regulations. A new class of eligibility is inserted comprising children aged 2 years or less who fall within either or both of the descriptions specified in the inserted regulation 4(3); regulation 4(2)(b) is amended so as not to refer to vehicles supplied by the Department of Social Security or the Scottish Executive and the description comprising people with a severe disability in both arms is extended.

Regulation 7 substitutes a new paragraph for regulation 6(2) of the Principal Regulations so as to provide that badges are to be issued for periods ending immediately after the child’s second birthday, in the case of badges granted to children under the age of two, and on the date on which the allowance ceases (if less than three years) in the case of persons in receipt of specified allowances.

Regulation 10 and the Schedule amend the Schedule to the Principal Regulations by substituting, for the diagrams of an individual’s badge and of an organisational badge, new diagrams incorporating an indication showing what is the front of the badge, revised wording and a hologram.

A full regulatory impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of business and the voluntary sector is available from the Department for Transport, Accessibility and Equalities Unit, Zone 4/22, Great Minister House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DR (telephone [phone]) and can be found on the Department’s website at www.dft.gov.uk/.