Rite of Passage (Welcoming and Coming of Age) Bill

House of Commons

Session 2002 - 03
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Other Bills before Parliament

Rite of Passage (Welcoming and Coming of Age) Bill

Rite of Passage (Welcoming and Coming of Age) Bill

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A

Bill

To

establish Civil Welcoming Ceremonies, Responsibility to Children

Agreements and Coming of Age Ceremonies; to make provision as to their

conduct; and for connected purposes.

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:—

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Civil welcoming ceremonies

(1)

Persons with parental responsibility for a child within the meaning of the

Children Act 1989 (c. 41) shall within 21 days of the birth of the child, be

required to arrange a civil welcoming ceremony for that child, and the registrar

shall conduct such a ceremony provided that the conditions set out in

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subsection (2) below have been met.

(2)

The conditions mentioned in subsection (1) above are that—

(a)

the child in question has not previously been named in a civil

welcoming ceremony;

(b)

those with parental responsibility have completed the necessary

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documentation within 14 days so as to have satisfied the prescribed

period of notice;

(c)

the welcoming ceremony will take place within the registration district

of the registrar;

(d)

the welcoming ceremony will take place within the registration district

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in which the child will normally reside; and

(e)

the place or premises where the ceremony will take place meet any

prescribed conditions.

(3)

Those with parental responsibility shall at the civil welcoming ceremony sign

the following documentation, which the registrar will also sign on behalf of the

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wider community—

(a)

the formal welcoming ceremony certificate; and

(b)

the responsibility to children agreement, as set out in section 2 below.

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Rite of Passage (Welcoming and Coming of Age) Bill

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(4)

The registrar shall witness the signing of these documents by those with

parental responsibility, and those with parental responsibility shall witness the

signing of these documents by the registrar on behalf of the wider community.

(5)

Where those with parental responsibility have failed to meet the provisions

contained within subsections (1), (2), (3) or (4) above, sanctions shall be

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imposed as prescribed by the Secretary of State.

(6)

Where the registrar has failed to meet the provisions contained within

subsections (1), (2), (3) or (4) above, sanctions shall be imposed as prescribed

by the Secretary of State.

(7)

A civil welcoming ceremony shall take such form as may be prescribed,

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provided that—

(a)

no ceremony shall take place except in the presence of two witnesses

and of a registrar of the relevant registration district;

(b)

the ceremony shall be organised by the state; and

(c)

no religious service shall be used at the ceremony.

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2

Responsibility to children agreements

(1)

The registrar shall set out in a responsibility to children agreement the

responsibilities of those with parental responsibility with respect to their child,

whereby—

(a)

the responsibility to children agreement shall set out the rights and

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duties of those with parental responsibilities in such form that as the

Secretary of State may by regulations made by statutory instrument

prescribe; and

(b)

the Secretary of State shall not make any regulations under this

section unless a draft of such regulations has been laid before both

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Houses of Parliament and approved by resolution of both Houses.

(2)

The registrar shall set out in a responsibility to children agreement the duties

of society with respect to the child, whereby—

(a)

the responsibility to children agreement shall set out the rights and

duties of society in such form as the Secretary of State may by

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regulations made by statutory instrument prescribe; and

(b)

the Secretary of State shall not make any regulations under this section

unless a draft of such regulations has been laid before both Houses of

Parliament and approved by resolution of both Houses.

(3)

Where there has been breach of the responsibility to children agreement, on the

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part of those with parental responsibility or society, rights of redress as

prescribed by the Secretary of State shall be applied.

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Coming of age ceremonies

Each person shall take part in a formal coming of age ceremony—

(a)

which shall confer on the individual certain responsibilities and rights

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as prescribed by the Secretary of State;

(b)

which shall take place by the completion of Key Stage 3, or as otherwise

prescribed by the Secretary of State;

(c)

which, in England, shall be linked to the undertaking and successful

completion of learning within the scope of the National Curriculum for

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England and shall be specifically related to citizenship education;

Rite of Passage (Welcoming and Coming of Age) Bill

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(d)

which, in Wales, shall be linked to the undertaking and successful

completion of learning within the scope of the National Curriculum for

Wales and shall be specifically related to citizenship education; and

(e)

which shall take the form as may be prescribed by the Secretary of State.

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Interpretation

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In this Act—

(a)

“key stage 3” means the same as in the Education Act 2002 (c. 32);

(b)

“National Curriculum for England” means the same as in the Education

Act 2002;

(c)

“National Curriculum for Wales” means the same as in the Education

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Act 2002;

(d)

“prescribed” means prescribed in regulations made by the Secretary of

State by statutory instrument;

(e)

“registrar” shall have the same meaning as in the Births and Deaths

Registration Act 1953 (c. 20); and

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(f)

“parental responsibility” means those with legal responsibility for a

child, who are subject to the provisions of this Act.

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Money

There shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament—

(a)

any expenditure incurred by the Secretary of State by virtue of this Act, and

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(b)

any increase attributable to this Act in the sums payable out of money so

provided by virtue of any other enactment.

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Short title, extent and commencement

(1)

This Act may be cited as the Rite of Passage (Welcoming and Coming of Age)

Bill.

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(2)

This Act extends to England and Wales only.

(3)

The Secretary of State may by order apply the provisions of the Act to different

local authorities at different times.