Statwatch

Discretionary Housing Payments (Grants) Amendment Order 2008 (SI 2008/1167)

Commences 22 May 2008. Amends SI 2008/1167 to remove the statutory requirement for local authorities to have their final claim for the secretary of state’s contribution towards discretionary housing payments audited. The amendments are applicable from 1 April 2006.

Immigration (Biometric Registration) (Pilot) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/1183) Commenced 1 May 2008.

Enable the secretary of state to operate a pilot for issuing “biometric immigration documents”—also known as an identity card—for foreign nationals. The pilot is designed to test the biometric enrolment processes before further regulations are made for the main roll out of the project. Require certain persons who are subject to immigration control to apply for a biometric immigration document when they make an application for leave to remain in the . The person may be required to provide biometric information, including fingerprints and a photograph of their face. The Border and Immigration Agency will not issue an identity card for the purposes of this limited pilot. Where an applicant is successful, they will be issued a biometric immigration document that will be in the form of a vignette.

Medicines for Human Use (Prescribing) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2008 (SI 2008/1161)

Commences 4 June 2008. Introduces independent prescribing by optometrists and enables hospitals and health centres to sell, offer for sale or supply medicines in accordance with the written directions of an optometrist independent prescriber. Optometrists who wish to undertake independent prescribing responsibilities must undertake training provided by a higher education institution and be accredited by the General Optical Council. Practitioners will need to register their independent prescribing specialty with the council before they can exercise prescribing responsibilities.