Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the provisions of the State Awards Regulations 1978 relating to the bestowal of state awards.

The general arrangements made by the Secretary of State for the purposes of his functions under the Regulations of 1978 have provided that a state award should not be bestowed on a person who, on applying for an award, is not ordinarily resident in England and Wales and, throughout the three years preceding his application, has not been ordinarily resident in the British Islands; these arrangements are relaxed or modified in the case of applicants for awards who are refugees or the children of workers from the European Community.

The present Regulations make express provision in that behalf and further provide that the state award shall not be bestowed on a person if his residence in the British Islands (or the European Community, as appropriate) has during any part of the three year period preceding his application been wholly or mainly for purposes of receiving full-time education or undertaking post-graduate research.

They also extend the existing arrangements relating to the eligibility of refugees for awards to their spouses and children and take account of the provisions of Article 7 of E.E.C. Regulation 1612/68 relating to the access of workers from the European Community to training in vocational schools.