Office of Public Sector Information
317.Subsection (3) lists those who can apply for variation of the ancillary provisions of a permanence order. These are the local authority which made the original application for a permanence order; the child who is subject to the permanence order (if aged 12 or over or, where under 12, is considered by the court to be mature enough to understand the effect of the order); anyone who was granted parental responsibilities and parental rights by the permanence order; anyone who lost parental responsibilities and parental rights by virtue of the permanence order or a variation of it; and any other person who claims an interest. In practice those who have lost parental responsibilities and parental rights by virtue of the making of the permanence order are likely to apply for a variation of an order in order to secure or vary contact arrangements with the child. However, such people may apply to vary any aspect of the permanence order. Anyone other than the local authority which made the original application for the permanence order will be required to obtain the leave of the court before such an application can be made (see section 94(4) and (5) of the Act).
318.Subsections (4) and (5) apply where a court varies the ancillary provision of a permanence order so as to vest in a person a parental responsibility or parental right that before the variation vested in another person. In this case, the court may include in the variation a provision extinguishing the parental responsibility or parental right that was vested in the other person.
319.Subsection (6) provides that section 84(4), (5)(a) and (b) and (6) (considerations applicable to the making of an order) apply to the variation of a permanence order as they do to the making of a permanence order. A court considering an application for variation of a permanence order must therefore apply the considerations contained in those provisions in this context too.
320.By virtue of subsection (7), “ancillary provisions” in subsections (1) and (2) has the same meaning as in section 82 of the Act (permanence orders: ancillary provisions).
321.Subsection (8) defines a variation for the purposes of this section as including adding to, omitting or amending any of the provisions of the permanence order.
322.By virtue of subsection (1), this section applies where a permanence order is in place in respect of a child, but it does not include authority for the child to be adopted. Under subsection (2), an appropriate court may, on application by the local authority which applied for the original permanence order, grant authority for the child to be adopted if the court considers that it is better for the child that the measure be granted, if the court is satisfied that the child has already been placed for adoption or will soon be placed for adoption and if the condition in subsection (3) or (4) is met.
323.Under subsection (3), dealing with parental consent, the parent or guardian of the child must fully understand what the effect of an adoption order would be and must consent to such an order being made in respect of the child. By virtue of subsection (4), the court can dispense with the consent of the child’s parent or guardian on any of the grounds in section 83 of the Act, which apply to the inclusion of such authority on the grant of a permanence order.
324.Subsection (5) provides that the conditions and considerations in section 84(4), (5)(a) and (b) and (6) of the Act apply to the amendment of a permanence order as they do to the making of a permanence order.
325.Subsection (6) defines “guardian” and “parent” for the purposes of this section as being a guardian or parent who has parental responsibilities or rights or who had such responsibilities or rights but as a result of a previous permanence order no longer has such responsibilities or rights.
326.Under subsection (1), in any proceedings relating to an application by a local authority for the variation of a permanence order, the appropriate court must permit any person who is affected by the permanence order and who wishes to make representations to the court, to do so.
327.By virtue of subsection (2), in any proceedings relating to an application for the variation of a permanence order, by anyone other than the local authority which made the original permanence order application, those persons specified at subsection (3) have a right to make representations to the appropriate court. Those persons are: the local authority which made the original application for the permanence order; the child who is subject to the order (if aged 12 years or over or, where under 12, is considered by the court to be capable of understanding the effect of the order); any person who has parental responsibilities and parental rights in relation to the child; anyone who has a duty or power by virtue of the permanence order; any person who had parental responsibilities and parental rights immediately before the making of the order, which the order then vested in another person; any person who had parental responsibilities and parental rights conferred by virtue of the original permanence order but which have been vested in another person by virtue of any variation of the order; and anyone else who claims an interest.
328.By virtue of subsection (4), if a person other than the local authority which made the original permanence order application seeks to apply for a variation to a permanence order they must obtain leave of the court to do so. Subsection (5) provides that the court must grant leave if there has been a material change in circumstances directly relating to the provisions of the order or that for any other reason it is proper to allow the application to be made.
329.Subsection (6) sets out the issues to which a court must have particular regard in determining whether there has been a material change in circumstances. These are any aspect of the welfare of the child and the circumstances of his or her parent(s) or guardian or any persons mentioned in subsection (3)(e) or (f) (being those who had parental responsibilities or rights but which the order or a variation of it vested in another person).
330.Subsection (7) makes clear that any references to an application for variation of a permanence order also include references to an application to amend the order to include authority for the child to be adopted.
331.This section concerns the interaction between the children’s hearing and the court to which an application to make or vary a permanence order has been made. It provides that where there is a ‘live’ application for a permanence order in relation to a child, or for variation of such an order and where a children’s hearing proposes to make or modify a supervision requirement in respect of that child , the children’s hearing must prepare a report for the court to which application has been made. The report must contain such information as Scottish Ministers may prescribe in regulations (subsections (1) and (2)).
332.Subsection (3) makes clear that the reference to variation of a permanence order also includes a reference to amendment of the order to include authority for the child to whom the order relates to be adopted
333.By virtue of this section, where an application has been made for a permanence order to be made in respect of a child or for a variation or amendment of a permanence order, no supervision requirement in respect of the child may be made or modified until the application is determined (or withdrawn or abandoned). This does not apply where the court to which the application is made for the order, or variation or amendment of it, refers the matter to the Principal Reporter, whether following receipt of a report under section 95 or not. .
334.Under this section, where an application has been made for a permanence order in respect of a child or for a variation of a permanence order, the court may make such interim orders as it thinks fit. Where the child is subject to a supervision requirement and the court is satisfied that, were it to make an interim order, compulsory measures of supervision would be rendered unnecessary, the court must make an order providing that the supervision requirement ceases to have effect on the making of the interim order.
335.Subsection (5) provides that, if the child in respect of whom the interim order is made is subject to a supervision requirement and the provisions of the order conflict or are inconsistent with the requirement, the provisions of the interim order prevail.
336.Subsection (6) makes clear that the reference to variation of a permanence order also includes a reference to amendment of the order to include authority for the child to whom the order relates to be adopted.
337.By virtue of subsection (1), a court may revoke a permanence order when it is satisfied that it is appropriate to do so, on the application of any of those people listed at subsection (2). In particular, the court should consider whether there has been a material change in circumstances directly relating to the provisions of the order and any wish by the parent or guardian of the child to have parental responsibilities or rights reinstated.
338.Subsection (2) lists those persons who can apply for revocation of the permanence order as the local authority which applied for the permanence order and anyone else affected by the order who has obtained the leave of the court to apply for a revocation.
339.The conditions and considerations in section 84(4), (5)(a) and (b) and (6) of the Act apply to the revocation of a permanence order under this section as they apply to the making of a permanence order.
340.Where a permanence order has been made, the local authority on whose application the order was made must apply to the appropriate court, as soon as is reasonably practicable, for the variation or revocation of the order where it determines that there has been a material change of circumstances directly relating to the provisions of the order and, consequently, that the order should be varied or revoked. The term ‘variation’ includes amendment of the order and therefore includes seeking provision granting authority for the child to be adopted.
341.This section applies where a court has revoked a permanence order in respect of a child. When a court revokes the order, it must, by virtue of subsection (2), consider whether to make an order under section 11 of the 1995 Act (court orders relating to parental responsibilities etc) imposing on a particular person parental responsibilities and parental rights in regard to the child.
342.This section applies (a) where a permanence order is in force which includes provision granting authority for the child to be adopted, and (b) following the making of the order (or, if applicable, the amendment of it to include authority for the child to be adopted) one of the following events occurs. Those events are that the child is placed for adoption, an adoption order is made in respect of the child or the child ceases to be placed for adoption otherwise than on the making of an adoption order. When any of these events occur, the local authority must, as soon as is reasonably practicable, give notice of the event to persons falling within subsection (4), namely those who consented to the making of the order under section 83(1)(c)(i) or section 93(3) of the Act and those whose consent to the making of the order was dispensed with under section 83(1)(c)(ii) or 93(4). The local authority does not need to give such notice if the person who would receive the notice has indicated that they do not want to be notified.
343.By virtue of this section, where a child who is subject to a permanence order becomes subject to an adoption order, the permanence order ceases to have effect.
344.This section inserts a new section 11A (restrictions on making of orders under section 11) into the Children (Scotland) Act 1995.
345.When a permanence order is in force, the court may not make an order such as is mentioned in section 11(2)(a) to (e), of the 1995 Act in respect of a child who is subject to the permanence order.
346.This section allows rules of court to be made which make provision in relation to applications for permanence orders, applications for variation or revocation of permanence orders (including, by virtue of subsection (5), an application to amend a permanence order to include authority for the child to be adopted) and applications for leave to apply for variations or revocations.
347.Subsection (2) provides that where an application is made for a permanence order containing a request that the order include provision granting authority for the child to be adopted, or where an application is made under section 93(2), rules must require certain persons to be notified of certain matters. By virtue of subsection (3) these are every person who can be found and whose agreement or consent to the making of the order is required to be given or dispensed with or, if no such person can be found, any relative prescribed by rules who can be found (subsection (3)(a)). These people must be notified that the application has been made; of the date on which and the place at which the application will be heard; that the person is entitled to be heard on the application; and that the person does not need to attend the hearing if they do not wish to do so, unless required by the court (subsections (3)(a) and (4)).
348.Under subsections (2)(b) and (3)(b), the father of the child, if he has never had parental responsibilities and parental rights in relation to the child, and if he can be found, must be informed of the date on which and the place at which the application will be heard.
349.This section applies where a local authority proposes to apply for a permanence order or becomes aware that an application for an adoption order for a child in its area is planned and the following three conditions are all met. The first of these conditions is that the father of the child is not married to the mother of the child on the “relevant date” (i.e. when the local authority decides to apply for the permanence order or becomes aware of the planned application for an adoption order. The second condition is that on the relevant date the father of the child does not have, and has never had, parental responsibilities and parental rights in regard to the child. The third condition is that the local authority knows the identity and whereabouts of the father or is able to find out this information using reasonable and practicable steps.
350.Under subsection (2), where this section applies, a local authority must notify the father either that it proposes to apply for a permanence order or that an adoption order application has been, or is to be, made. The local authority must also provide the father with specific information, as prescribed in regulations about the processes of applying for the order in question. The local authority must provide notice at least 4 weeks before the relevant date on which it intends to apply for the permanence order or as soon as is reasonably practicable when it becomes aware of the application, or intended application, for the adoption order.
351.This section provides that, where a registered adoption service intends to place for adoption a child who is subject to a supervision requirement under the 1995 Act, the registered adoption service must refer the case to the Principal Reporter. Subsection (3) gives the Scottish Ministers the power to make regulations specifying a time period in which such a referral should be made.
352.Section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (court orders relating to parental responsibilities etc) is amended by this section. That section prevented persons who have lost parental responsibilities and parental rights through the making of an adoption order, a freeing order, a parental responsibilities order or a parental order by virtue of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 from applying for a contact order in respect of the child under section 11(2)(d) of the 1995 Act The amendment allows persons who have lost their parental responsibilities and parental rights by virtue of the making of an adoption order to apply for a contact order with the leave of the court.
353.By virtue of this section, a court can appoint a curator ad litem or a reporting officer to act in an application for a relevant order (defined by subsection (4) as an adoption order, a permanence order or an order under section 65 of the Act) in such cases as are prescribed by rules. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) outline the roles of these officers: a curator ad litem will act to safeguard the interests of the child during proceedings; a reporting officer will witness agreements to adoption and perform other duties that may be prescribed.
354.Subsection (2) provides that the rules made under subsection (1), may, in particular, make provision enabling the reporting officer to be appointed before the application is made and enabling the court to appoint the same person as curator ad litem and reporting officer.
355.Under subsection (3), any rules made under subsection (1) may not allow any person who is employed by the adoption agency which has applied for an adoption order in respect of the child to be appointed as a curator ad litem or reporting officer. Similarly, rules may not allow any person who is employed by the local authority who has applied for a permanence order in respect of the child to be appointed as a curator ad litem or reporting officer.
356.By virtue of this section, any proceedings before the court in relation to any of sections 24, 29, 30, 59, 80, 92, 93 and 99 of this Act must be heard and determined in private, unless the court specifies otherwise.
357.Subsections (1) and (2) give the Scottish Ministers power to make regulations making provision about payments by a local authority in respect of a child if (a) he or she is placed by the local authority under section 26(1)(a) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 or (b) the child is required by virtue of section 70(3)(a) of that Act to reside with a person other than a parent of the child or, (c) were the child not residing with a relative, the child would be a ‘looked after’ child under section 25(1) of the 1995 Act.
358.By virtue of subsection (3) these regulations may, in particular, specify descriptions of persons to whom payments may be made; specify circumstances in which payments may be made; and specify rates of payments, including minimum required or recommended rates in specified circumstances and a requirement for local authorities who do not comply with the recommended rates to publish their reasons for not doing so.
359.By virtue of subsection (4) the child does not cease to be a child placed under section 26(1)(a) of the 1995 Act simply because a permanence order gives parental responsibilities or parental rights to a member of the family with whom the child is placed. Under subsection (5) a child does not fall within subsection (2)(c) if the relative is a guardian of the child (parents are already excluded by not being covered by the definition of ‘relative’ in section 119(1)). Subsection (6) provides that it is immaterial for the purposes of paragraph (c) of subsection (2) if the relative has any parental responsibilities or rights in relation to the child.
360.By virtue of subsection (1), any document signifying consent required by this Act, if witnessed in accordance with rules of the court, is sufficient evidence of the signature of the person by whom it was executed. Any such document which purports to be witnessed in accordance with rules is presumed to have been executed and witnessed on the date and place specified in the document, unless otherwise shown.
Section 112 - Service of notices etc.
361.This section provides that any notice or information required to be given under the Act may be sent by post.
362.By virtue of this section any document which is receivable as evidence of any matter in England and Wales under section 77(4) and (5) of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (adopted children register), or in Northern Ireland under Article 63(1) of the Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987 (evidence of adoptions, etc.) is considered sufficient evidence in Scotland of the matter to which it relates.
363.Subsection (1) provides a power for any matter relating to procedure to be dealt with by court rules. Subsection (2) specifies that any court rules dealing with an application for an adoption order must require notification of certain people (as set out at subsection (3)) of particular aspects of the adoption case set out at subsection (4) and requires notification of the father of the child (if he can be found) who does not have and has never had parental responsibilities and parental rights in respect of the child of the matters at subsection (4)(a) and (b), those being that the application has been made and the date on which and place at which the application will be heard.
364.The people who must be notified, as set out in subsection (3), are anyone whose consent to the making of an adoption order is required and who can be found, or, if no such person can be found, any relative prescribed by rules who can be found; anyone who has consented to the making of an adoption order under section 20 of the 2002 Act (advance consent to adoption) (and who has not withdrawn that consent); and anyone who, if leave were given under section 31(12) of the Act would be entitled to oppose the making of the order.
365.Under subsection (4) the people listed at subsection (3) must be notified that the application has been made, of the date on which the application will be heard and the place where it will be heard; of the fact that the person is entitled to be heard on the application; and that that person does not have to attend the hearing unless they wish to do so, or are requested to do so by the court.
366.By virtue of subsection (6), in the case of an application under section 59 of the Act, rules must require every person who can be found, and whose agreement to the making of the order would be required if the application were for an adoption order, other than a Convention order, to be notified of the matters in subsection (4).
367.By virtue of subsection (1), where an offence is committed under the Act by a body corporate which is proved to have been committed with the consent or the connivance of a “relevant person”, or because of any neglect by the “relevant person”, the relevant person, as well as the body corporate, will be guilty of the offence and liable to punishment.
368.Where the affairs of a body corporate are managed by its members, a member is regarded as a relevant person in relation to subsection (1) as regards that person’s management functions in relation to the body (subsection 2).
369.Where any offence is committed by a partnership with the consent or connivance of a partner, or because of the neglect of a partner, the partner and the partnership are guilty of the offence and are liable to punishment (subsection 3).
370.By virtue of subsection (4), a “relevant person” in relation to a body corporate means a director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body, or a person purporting to act in any of these capacities.
371.Under subsection (1), the Scottish Ministers have the power to make, by order, any incidental, supplementary, consequential, transitory, transitional or saving provision as is necessary to give full effect to this Act, or any provision of it. By virtue of subsection (2), such an order may modify any enactment, including the Act itself.
372.This section relates to any orders or regulations made under any provision in the Act.
373.By virtue of subsection (1), any power in the Act to make regulations or orders conferred on the Scottish Ministers or the Registrar General will be exercised by statutory instrument.
374.Subsection (2) provides that any power to make regulations or orders may be used to make different provision for different purposes and includes power to make any incidental, supplementary, consequential, transitory, transitional or saving provisions as the Scottish Ministers or the Registrar General, where appropriate, consider appropriate.
375.Subsection (3) allows any power to make orders or regulations to be exercised in relation to those cases subject to specified exceptions or a particular case or class of cases.
376.By virtue of subsection (4), any statutory instrument containing regulations or an order (other than regulations mentioned in subsection (5) or commencement orders made under section 121) is subject to annulment in the Scottish Parliament.
377.Under subsection (5), any statutory instrument which contains regulations under section 3 of the Act which includes provision amending subsection (4) or (5) of section 1 or regulations under section 38(1) or 74(1) must not be made unless a draft has been laid before and approved by the Scottish Parliament. Similarly, a statutory instrument containing an order under section 116(1) which modifies primary legislations made at Westminster or in the Scottish Parliament is subject to the same affirmative procedure.
378.For the purposes of this section, ‘Registrar General’ has the meaning given by section 57(1) of the Act.
379.This section defines what is meant by “appropriate court” in dealing with an application for an order in relation to a child.
380.Subsection (2) provides that, where the child is in Scotland when the application is made, the “appropriate court” is the Court of Session or the sheriff court of the sheriffdom where the child is at the time of the application.
381.By virtue of subsection (3), if the child is not in Scotland and the application is for an adoption order or for a permanence order seeking provision granting authority for adoption of the child the “appropriate court” is the Court of Session.
382.This is the interpretation section. It provides definitions of many of the expressions used throughout the Act.
383.This section gives effect to schedule 2 (minor and consequential amendments) and schedule 3 (repeals).
384.This section provides for the short title of the Act. It also provides that the Act comes into force on such days as may be appointed by the Scottish Ministers by order. Different provisions of the Act can come into force on different days for different purposes.
385.This schedule is introduced by section 53(4) of the Act and provides for the registration of adoptions.
386.By virtue of paragraph 1(1), every adoption order must contain a direction to the Registrar General for Scotland to make an entry in the Adopted Children Register. The form of entry will be as prescribed by regulations made by the Registrar General with the approval of Scottish Ministers.
387.In order to satisfy the requirement at paragraph 1(1), where the precise date of the child’s birth is not known, the court is to determine the likely date of the child’s birth and this is to be specified in the adoption order as the child’s date of birth. Where the country of the child’s birth is unknown, if it appears likely that the child was born in the British Islands, the child should be regarded as having been born in Scotland. Otherwise, this information can be excluded from the adoption order and the entry in the Adopted Children Register. Where the application for the adoption order specifies any names in regard to the child, those names are to be recorded in the adoption order as the names of the child. Where the adoption order does not specify these names, the child’s original name and the surname of the applicant are to be recorded in the adoption order as the names of the child.
388.On an application for an adoption order in relation to a child, where the identity of the child can be linked to an entry in the register of births, and where the child has not previously been subject to an adoption order made by a court in Scotland, the adoption order must contain a direction to the Registrar General for Scotland to mark that entry in the register of births with the word “Adopted” (paragraph 2(2)). Where the child has previously been subject to an adoption order made by a court in Scotland, the adoption order must contain a direction to the Registrar General for Scotland to mark the relevant entry in the register of births with the word “Re-adopted” (paragraph 3).
389.Where an adoption order is made, it is the responsibility of the clerk of the court which made the order to communicate the order to the Registrar General for Scotland. The Registrar General for Scotland must secure that the direction contained in the order is complied with as soon as is reasonably practicable (paragraph 4).
390.Under paragraph 5, when the Registrar General for Scotland is notified of an adoption order made in respect of a child who matches an entry in the register of births in Scotland in a part of the British Islands other than Scotland, and there is no entry for the child in the Adopted Children Register, the Registrar General for Scotland must mark the relevant entry with the word “Adopted” followed by the name of the part of the British Islands in which the adoption order was made in brackets. Where there is an entry for the child in the Adopted Children Register, the Registrar General for Scotland must mark the entry in the register of births with the word “Re-adopted” followed by the name of the part of the British Islands in which the adoption order was made in brackets.
391.Where the Registrar General for Scotland is notified that any such adoption order no longer stands, the Registrar must ensure that the marking is cancelled.
392.Where such an adoption order is cancelled, an extract of the entry is not accurate unless both the marking and the cancellation are omitted.
393.Under paragraph 6, where a child is adopted under a registrable foreign adoption (by which is meant a Convention order or an overseas adoption), the Registrar General for Scotland must make an entry in the Adopted Children Register if there is enough information to allow this.
394.Where such an adoption takes place, and there is enough information to allow it, the Registrar General for Scotland must make an entry in the register of births showing “Adopted” or “Re-adopted” as the case may be, followed by the name of the part of the British Islands in which the adoption order was made in brackets.
395.An application under paragraph 6 must be made in the prescribed manner and any entry in the Adopted Children Register must be made in the prescribed manner, as made by the Registrar General for Scotland with the approval of the Scottish Ministers.
396.By virtue of paragraph 7, on the application of an adopter or adopted person, a court which made an adoption order can amend the order by correcting any errors it contains.
397.Within one year of the adoption order being made, on application by an adopter or adopted person, a court can amend the adoption order to include any new name which has been given to the adopted person or taken by the adopted person.
398.The court which made the adoption order, may, on application by an adopter or adopted person, revoke a direction for the marking of an entry in the register of births or the Adopted Children Register if the court is satisfied that the direction was wrongly included.
399.Where an adoption order is amended, the clerk of the court must ensure that the amendment is communicated to the Registrar General for Scotland.
400.The Registrar General for Scotland must ensure that the relevant entries are amended or cancelled, as the case may be.
401.Where an adoption order is cancelled or quashed or otherwise falls, the court must direct the Registrar General for Scotland to cancel any relevant entry in the Adopted Children Register or the register of births.
402.Where an adoption order has been amended, any extract issued in accordance with section 54 (searches and extracts) must be a copy of the entry as amended without any note or marking relating to the amendment or any matter cancelled in relation to the order.
403.Where the marking of an entry is cancelled, an extract of the entry is not to be treated as accurate unless both the marking and the cancellation are excluded.
404.Where the Registrar General for Scotland has enough information to do so, any entry in the Adopted Children Register or register of births can be cancelled or amended in relation to a registrable foreign adoption (by which is meant a Convention order or an overseas adoption). Where such an entry is amended, an extract of the entry is not accurate unless it shows the entry as amended, but without indicating that it has been amended.
405.Under paragraph 8, where an entry in the register of births has been marked in accordance with this schedule and the birth is re-registered, the entry on re-registration must be marked in the same way.
406.This schedule contains amendments to various enactments to take account of the Act.
407.This schedule lists the enactments and parts thereof which are repealed by the Act.
408.The following table sets out, for each Stage of the proceedings in the Scottish Parliament on the Bill for this Act, the dates on which the proceedings at that stage took place, the references to the Official report of those proceedings, the dates on which Committee Reports and other papers relating to the Act were published, and references to those Reports and other papers.
| Proceedings and Reports | Reference |
|---|---|
| Pre-Legislative Discussion | |
| Education Committee | |
| 5th Meeting, 1 March 2006 | Col 3097 |
| 6th Meeting, 8 March 2006 | Col 3103 |
| 7th Meeting, 22 March 2006 | Col 3107 |
| 8th Meeting, 29 March 2006 | Col 3115 |
| Introduction | |
| 27 March 2006 | Adoption and Children (Scotland) Bill as introduced (SP Bill 61B) |
| Preliminary Discussion | |
| Finance Committee | |
| 11th Meeting, 18 April 2006 | Col 3521 |
| Education Committee | |
| 9th Meeting, 19 April 2006 | Item in private |
| Stage 1 | |
| Education Committee | |
| 11th Meeting, 10 May 2006 | Col 3191 |
| 12th Meeting, 17 May 2006 | Col 3234 |
| 13th Meeting, 24 May 2006 | Col 3277 |
| 14th Meeting, 31 May 2006 | Col 3320 |
| 15th Meeting, 7 June 2006 | Col 3353 |
| 16th Meeting, 21 June 2006 | Item in private |
| 17th Meeting, 28 June 2006 | Item in private |
| 8th report, 2006 (SP paper 612) | Stage 1 report on the Bill |
| Finance Committee | |
| 13th Meeting, 9 May 2006 | Col 3548 |
| Subordinate Legislation Committee | |
| 14th Meeting, 2 May 2006 | Col 1748 |
| 16th Meeting, 16 May 2006 | Col 1799 |
| Consideration by the Parliament | |
| Stage 1 Debate, 13 September 2006 | Col 27403-27453 |
| Pre-Stage 2 | |
| Education Committee | |
| 19th Meeting, 27 September 2006 | Col 3490 |
| Stage 2 | |
| Education Committee | |
| 20th Meeting, 4 October 2006 | Col 3496 |
| 22nd Meeting, 1 November 2006 | Col 3557 |
| 23rd Meeting, 8 November 2006 | Col 3620 |
| After Stage 2 | |
| Subordinate Legislation Committee | |
| 33rd Meeting, 28 November 2006 | Col 2173 |
| 46th report, 2006 (SP 693) | Report on the Bill as amended at Stage 2 |
| Stage 3 | |
| Consideration by the Parliament | |
| Stage 3 Debate, 7 December 2006 | Col 30095-30155 Morning Debate |
| Col 30192-30250 Afternoon Debate | |
| Col 30251-30253 Decision Time | |
| Bill Passed 7 December 2006 | Adoption and Children (Scotland) Bill as passed |
| Royal Assent | 15 January 2007 |
Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007