Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Children and Young People’s Plan (England) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/2149) in three substantive respects. They substitute for the requirement to include in a plan a copy of the local authority’s vision statement, a statement as set out in regulation 4 above; they add to the list of consultees in preparing plans; and they make provision for the change in the categorisation of local authorities from the current system in the Local Authorities (Categorisation) (England) (No.2) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/2416) to the star system brought into effect by the Local Authorities (Categorisation) (England) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/3096), both Orders made under section 99(4) of the Local Government Act 2003. This latter provision ensures that the exception from the duty to prepare a plan, which is currently allowed to authorities categorised as excellent under the 2005 Order, will transfer to those rated as four stars under the new Order.

Not all authorities will transfer from being excellent to four stars. Regulation 6(b) provides that those authorities previously categorised as excellent and categorised as three stars under the new system have until 1st May 2007 to prepare their plan.

The transitional provisions provide that the amendments in respect of the vision statement and the list of consultees will not apply in relation to any plan that is published before 1st October 2007. They also provide that if an authority is required to publish a plan by 1st April 2007 by virtue of regulation 9(2) and (3) as it stands immediately before the coming into force of these Regulations, the amendments made by regulation 6(a) of these Regulations shall not affect that requirement.