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Children's Nurseries (Safety)

This is the text of the Children's Nurseries (Safety) Bill, as presented to the House of Commons on 22 April 1998

 
 
  
Children's Nurseries (Safety)
 
 
 
 
ARRANGEMENT OF CLAUSES
Clause 
1.Powers of Secretary of State.
2.Cancellation of registration.
3.Inspections.
4.Short title.
 

 

 
 
A

B I L L

TO

Amend the Children Act 1989 to improve the registration and inspection procedures in nurseries by introducing stricter safety guidelines for registration and more frequent and unannounced inspections.

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-
 

Powers of Secretary of State.     1. For subsection 73(4) of the Children Act 1989 ("the 1989 Act") there are substituted the following subsections-
 
 
    "(4) The Secretary of State shall, no later than 31st August 1999, by regulations make provision as to requirements which must be imposed by local authorities under this section in prescribed circumstances.
 
      (4A) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (4), regulations under that subsection shall prescribe in detail the requirements which must be imposed by local authorities under subsection (3)(b) in relation to the safety of premises and the equipment used in them."
 
Cancellation of registration.     2. In section 74 of the 1989 Act, for the words "may at any time" in each of subsections (1) to (3) there shall be substituted the words "shall immediately".
 
Inspections.     3. - (1) Section 80 of the 1989 Act (Inspection of children's homes etc by persons authorised by Secretary of State) shall be amended as follows.
 
      (2) After subsection (1) there shall be inserted the following subsection-
 
 
    "(1A) In the case of premises to which subsection (1)(h) applies, it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to ensure that all such premises are inspected at least twice in every twelve month period."
 
      (3) At the end of subsection (8) there shall be inserted the words ", and shall not be required to give notice before doing so."
 
Short title.     4. This Act may be cited as the Children's Nurseries (Safety) Act 1998.
 
 

 
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