Children and Young Persons Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 100: 100: Clause 31, page 26, line 4, leave out ““““seven”””” and insert ““““five”””” The noble Baroness said: Amendment No. 100 relates to Clause 31, which takes us back to the debates we had in the Children Act 2004 about private fostering. That is what the noble Lord was raising and, arguably, he should have raised the issue under this amendment. Clause 31 changes the sunset clause. Under the Children Act 2004, a register of private fosterers was to be set up under Section 45 in relation to England and under Section 46 in relation to Wales. Section 47 states that if the regulations relating to that register have not been laid within four years of the passing of the Act, which would be November 2008, Sections 45 and 46 would fall. Clause 31 extends the four years to seven to take the provision through to 2011. These Benches feel that the Government have been somewhat dilatory in getting such a register set up and in issuing these regulations. Only 10 per cent of private fosterers are currently registered. There are ten months between now and November 2008. It seems reasonable to add an extra year and make it five years instead of seven years. That will give the Government practically two years in which to get the regulations written and the register up and running. We feel that that is perfectly adequate. They should really have got a move on with this issue, and we would like to see them getting a move on with it. Therefore, our Amendment No. 100 proposes that instead of seven years it should be five years. I beg to move.