The National Health Service (Welfare Reform Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2016

Welsh Statutory Instruments

2016 No. 97 (W. 46)

National Health Service, Wales

The National Health Service (Welfare Reform Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2016

Made

28 January 2016

Laid before the National Assembly for Wales

2 February 2016

Coming into force

1 April 2016

The Welsh Ministers in exercise of the powers conferred on them by sections 71, 128, 129, 130, 131 and 203(9) and (10) of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006(1) make the following Regulations.

Title, commencement and application

1.—(1) The title of these Regulations is the National Health Service (Welfare Reform Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2016 and they come into force on 1 April 2016.

(2) These Regulations apply in relation to Wales.

Interpretation

2.  In these Regulations—

“the 1986 Regulations” (“Rheoliadau 1986”) means the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations 1986(2);

“the 1997 Regulations” (“Rheoliadau 1997”) means the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1997(3); and

“the 2007 Regulations” (“Rheoliadau 2007”) means the National Health Service (Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges) (Wales) Regulations 2007(4).

Amendment of the 1986 Regulations

3.  In regulation 13(2)(q) of the 1986 Regulations for “31 March 2016” substitute “31 March 2017”.

Amendment of the 1997 Regulations

4.  In regulation 8(3)(q) of the 1997 Regulations for “31 March 2016” substitute “31 March 2017”.

Amendment of the 2007 Regulations

5.  In regulation 5(1)(aa) of the 2007 Regulations for “31 March 2016” substitute “31 March 2017”.

Revocation

6.  The National Health Service (Welfare Reform Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2015(5) are revoked.

Mark Drakeford

Minister for Health and Social Services, one of the Welsh Ministers

28 January 2016

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations 1986 (1986/975) (“the 1986 Regulations”), the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1997 (1997/818) (“the 1997 Regulations”) and the National Health Service (Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges) (Wales) Regulations 2007 (2007/1104 (W. 116)) (“the 2007 Regulations”).

Regulation 3 amends the 1986 Regulations to extend the time period recipients of universal credit are eligible to receive free sight tests to March 2017.

Regulation 4 amends the 1997 Regulations to extend the time period recipients of universal credit are eligible to receive a payment to meet, or to contribute towards the costs of optical appliances to March 2017.

Regulation 5 amends the 2007 Regulations to extend the time period recipients of universal credit are entitled to payment in full of NHS travelling expenses and the full remission of an NHS charge to March 2017.

These Regulations revoke the National Health Service (Welfare Reform Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2015 (2015/631 (W. 51)).

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result it was not considered necessary to carry out a regulatory impact assessment as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations.

(1)

2006 c. 42.

(2)

S.I. 1986/975 as amended.

(3)

S.I. 1997/818 as amended.

(4)

S.I. 2007/1104 (W. 116) as amended.

(5)

S.I. 2015/631 (W. 51).