{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/foster-children-scotland-act-1984/section-21",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/foster-children-scotland-act-1984/section-21.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1984/56",
  "legislation_title": "Foster Children (Scotland) Act 1984",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/foster-children-scotland-act-1984",
  "path": "section/21",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "21",
  "heading": "Interpretation.",
  "text": "(1) In this Act—\n“ barred person ” has the meaning given by section 7(4);\n“ care home service ” has the meaning given by paragraph 2 of schedule 12 to the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010;\n“child” means a person under the age of 18;\n“compulsory school age” means school age within the meaning of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980;\n“local authority”means a council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994;\n“local authority in England or Wales” means the Council of a non-metropolitan county, metropolitan district or London borough, or the Common Council of the City of London;\n“place of safety” has the meaning given by section 202(1) of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 (asp 1);\n“relative” in relation to a child, means a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt whether of the full blood or half blood or by affinity ...;\n“residential establishment” means\n(a)an establishment managed by a local authority, voluntary organisation or any other person which provides residential accommodation for the purposes of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 or of Part II of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 whether for reward or not; or\n(b) a residential establishment as defined in section 202(1) of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 (asp 1);\n“ supervision requirement ” has the meaning given by section 70(1) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995;\n(a) to submit to supervision in accordance with such conditions as they may impose; or\n(b) to reside in a residential establishment named in the requirement and be subject to such conditions as they may impose;\n“voluntary organisation” means a body the activities of which are carried on otherwise than for profit.\n(2) In this Act, except insofar as the context otherwise requires,—\n(a) any reference to a numbered section or Schedule is a reference to the section of, or the Schedule to, this Act so numbered;\n(b) a reference in a section to a numbered subsection is a reference to the subsections of that section so numbered;\n(c) a reference in a section, subsection or Schedule to a numbered or lettered paragraph is a reference to the paragraph of that section, subsection or Schedule so numbered or lettered.",
  "extent": "S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 21 inserted (28.2.2011) by Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 14), s. 101(2), Sch. 4 para. 12 (with ss. 90, 99); S.S.I. 2011/157, art. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Definition of “care home service” in s. 21(1) inserted (1.4.2002) by 2001 asp 8, s. 79, Sch. 3 para. 12(3)(a); S.S.I. 2002/162, art. 2(f)(h) (subject to arts. 3-13)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 21(1) substituted (1.4.2011) by The Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 (Consequential Modifications) Order 2011 (S.S.I. 2011/211), art. 1, Sch. 1 para. 5(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 21(1): words in definition of “local authority” substituted (1.4.1996) by 1994 c. 39, s. 180(1), Sch. 13 para. 136; S.I. 1996/323, art. 4(1)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in the definition of “place of safety” in s. 21(1) substituted (1.4.2002) by 2001 asp 8, s. 79, Sch. 3 para. 12(3)(b); S.S.I. 2002/162, art. 2(f)(h) (subject to arts. 3-13)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 21(1) substituted (24.6.2013) by The Children's Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 (Modification of Primary Legislation) Order 2013 (S.S.I. 2013/211), art. 1, Sch. 1 para. 5(4)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 21(1) repealed (30.6.2006) by Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 (Consequential Modifications) Order 2006 (S.S.I. 2006/384), arts. 1, 7"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in s. 21(1) inserted (24.6.2013) by The Children's Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 (Modification of Primary Legislation) Order 2013 (S.S.I. 2013/211), art. 1, Sch. 1 para. 5(4)(b)(i)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "S. 21(1): words in definition of “residential establishment” inserted (1.4.1997) by 1995 c. 36, s. 105(4), Sch. 4 para. 35(7)(a); S.I. 1996/3201, art. 3(7) (as amended by S.I. 1997/744, arts. 2, 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words in s. 21(1) inserted (24.6.2013) by The Children's Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 (Modification of Primary Legislation) Order 2013 (S.S.I. 2013/211), art. 1, Sch. 1 para. 5(4)(b)(ii)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "s. 21(1): definition of “supervision requirement” substituted (1.4.1997) by 1995 c. 36, s. 105(4), Sch. 4 para. 35(7)(b); S.I. 1996/3201, art. 3(7) (as amended by S.I. 1997/744, arts. 2, 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1980 c. 44."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M2",
      "text": "1968 c. 49."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/56/section/21",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:01:02.861682+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}