Other instruments of Interest
17. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education,
Children's Services and Skills (Fees and Frequency of Inspections)
(Children's Homes etc.) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007/694) set
out fees, and frequencies, for OFSTED inspections of children's
homes and other establishments. We were pleased to see that the
Government had sought the views of children in preparing their
proposals for inspection frequencies, and that, in line with those
views, there will be no change in the inspection frequency for
children's homes in 2007-08. The Department for Education and
Skills have however advised us that decisions about the inspection
frequency for children's homes in 2008-09 have not yet been reached.
We trust that proper weight will be given to children's views
when such decisions come to be taken.
18. DfES have laid the Childcare (Supply and
Disclosure of Information) (England) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007/722),
the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007/723),
and the Childcare (Voluntary Registration) Regulations 2007
(SI 2007/730). All three are part of a series of instruments
being brought forward to implement the Childcare Act 2006. SI
2007/722 provides for provision for the disclosure by OFSTED of
prescribed information about childcare providers who have registered
voluntarily under the 2006 Act. SI 2007/723 sets out the categories
of persons who are disqualified from registration in England as
providers of early years or later years childminding or other
early years or later years provision. SI 2007/730 contains provisions
relating to the voluntary registration of childminders and other
providers of childcare.
19. The Charities
Act 2006 (Interim changes in threshold for registration of small
charities) Order 2007 (SI 2007/789), raises to £5,000
the gross income threshold above which small charities are required
to register with the Charity Commission. It also removes the current
requirements for charities that hold permanent endowments, or
use or occupy land, to register regardless of their income. The
changes brought about by this Order are expected to relieve 38,000
small charities from the need to be registered although all these
charities would remain within the Charity Commission's regulatory
jurisdiction whether they were registered or not. Many small charities
prefer to be registered and for the time being can continue to
be, on a voluntary basis. However, a wider review and simplification
process that was promised during the passage of the Charities
Act 2006 will commence in the autumn: this will once again consider
the appropriate threshold for registration.
20. The Ticket Touting (Designation of Football
Matches) Order 2007 (SI 2007/790) widens the definition of
a designated association football match, for the purposes of the
football ticket touting legislation in the Criminal Justice and
Public Order Act 1994, to include all matches in which an English
or Welsh club side or national team could participate. This is
necessary to avoid ticket touting for matches which would otherwise
only become regulated matches once the competing teams are known.
Examples would be tickets for future Cup Finals and other prestigious
matches, or tickets for matches in international tournaments (e.g.
the World Cup) before it is known whether or not an English or
Welsh club or national side has qualified. Specific ticket touting
legislation is required for football matches because of the importance
of segregation in reducing the potential for disorder among rival
fans. This change will coincide with the commencement of provision
in the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 which update ticket touting
provisions to cover unauthorised internet ticket sales and other
ticket touting practices designed to avoid prosecution under the
current legislation.
21. The Department for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs (DEFRA) have laid the Undersized Bass Order 2007
(SI 2007/809) and the Undersized Bass (Revocation) Order
2007 (SI 2007/857). SI 2007/809 was laid before Parliament
on 15 March, to come into force on 6 April. The effect of the
Order was to increase the minimum landing size (MLS) for sea bass
to 40 cm, in the interests of sustainable management. SI 2007/857
was laid on 15 March and comes into force on 5 April: it revokes
SI 2007/809 with the consequence that the Government are not in
fact reducing the MLS as proposed in the first Order. DEFRA have
given a full explanation to the Committee of the background to
the laying and revocation of the first Order, which resulted from
a misunderstanding over the effect of a Ministerial signature.
Draft Gambling (Geographical Distribution
of Casino Premises Licences) Order 2007
22. We drew the special attention of the House
to the draft Gambling (Geographical Distribution of Casino
Premises Licences) Order 2007 in our 13th Report (HL
Paper 67-I). The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
and the Chairman of the Casino Advisory Panel have now responded
by means of letters to the Chairman, printed at the Appendix.
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