Citation, commencement and extent

1. —(1) This Order may be cited as the Education (Additional Functions of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools in England) Order 2003 and shall come into force on 25th March 2003.

(2) This Order applies in relation to England.

Interpretation

2. In this Order–

“the Chief Inspector” means Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools in England( 2 );

“home child care provider” means a person approved in accordance with a Scheme;

“information”, in article 3(e), means such information as can, in the circumstances in which it is provided, be regarded as necessary or expedient in the interest of protecting children from potential harm or in assisting the obtaining of suitable home child care;

“Scheme” means a scheme made by the Secretary of State under section 12(5) of the Tax Credits Act 2002( 3 ).

Additional functions of the Chief Inspector

3. The Chief Inspector, if specified by a Scheme, shall have the following functions–

(a) in accordance with the Scheme, to approve persons to be home child care providers and to withdraw or suspend any approval given;

(b) in accordance with the Scheme, to impose upon an approval any condition he thinks necessary or expedient and to vary or remove any such condition;

(c) in accordance with the Scheme, to assess, by such means as he considers appropriate, the suitability or continued suitability of persons to be home child care providers;

(d) to keep the Secretary of State informed about the operation of the Scheme and about the quality and standards of home child care provided by persons approved under the Scheme and to advise the Secretary of State generally, and as required by him, about these and related matters;

(e) to provide to the Secretary of State, to local authorities and to parents information relating to persons who have applied to be, are or have been home child care providers and which has been obtained by the Chief Inspector in the course of carrying out his functions under the Scheme;

(f) to maintain a list of home child care providers; and

(g) to do such other things as are necessary to give full effect to the requirements of the Scheme or which are incidental to the functions referred to in paragraphs (a) to (f).