(1)    These Regulations may be cited as the War Pensions Committees (Amendment) Regulations 2005 and shall come into force on 5th December 2005.

(2)    In these Regulations “the principal Regulations” means the War Pensions Committees Regulations 2000.

The amendments to the principal Regulations contained in the Schedule to these Regulations shall have effect.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Defence

Don Touhig

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

26th October 2005

Amendment of regulation 1 (citation, commencement and interpretation)

1

Regulation 1 shall be amended as follows—

(1)    in regulation 1(2) omit the word “and”;

(2)    for ““widow” means a widow in receipt of a war widow's pension” substitute ““surviving spouse” means a widow or widower in receipt of a war pension; and”; and

(3)    after the definition of “widow” there shall be inserted the following definition ““surviving civil partner” means a surviving civil partner in receipt of a war pension”.

Amendment of regulation 8 (functions of a committee)

2

Regulation 8 shall be amended as follows—

(1)    in sub-paragraph (1)(a) for “pensioners or widows” substitute “pensioners, surviving spouses or surviving civil partners”;

(2)    in sub-paragraph (1)(c) for “widows” substitute “surviving spouses, surviving civil partners”;

(3)    in sub-paragraphs (1)(d) and (2)(d) for “pensioners and widows” substitute “pensioners, surviving spouses and surviving civil partners”; and

(4)    in sub-paragraph (2)(a) for “pensioner or widow” substitute “pensioner, surviving spouse or surviving civil partner”.

These Regulations amend the War Pensions Committees Regulations 2000 (“the principal Order”) in consequence of the introduction of civil partnerships by the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (2004 c 33).

A full regulatory impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as it has no impact on the costs of business.