Statutory Instruments with Clear Reports
16 January 2023
SL(6)302 – The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2022
Procedure: Made Negative
These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1073 (W. 241)) (“the Pharmaceutical Regulations”). The Pharmaceutical Regulations govern the provision of pharmaceutical services as part of the National Health Service in Wales under Part 7 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006 (“the 2006 Act”).
The scheme for paying for pharmaceutical and local pharmaceutical services in Part 7 of the 2006 Act is based on determining authorities for pharmaceutical remuneration ordinarily including, in the payments for services, an amount in respect of the price paid by service providers when they purchased the prescription items that they supply or administer to NHS patients.
Powers in Part 7 enable alternatives to these ordinary remuneration arrangements in some circumstances.
Regulation 4 inserts new regulation 55A into the Pharmaceutical Regulations . This provides that, where the Welsh Ministers or the Secretary of State have centrally purchased coronavirus vaccines, coronavirus antivirals or influenza vaccines, and those products are made available to community pharmacies at no cost, the determining authorities for pharmaceutical remuneration are to set a zero or nominal NHS reimbursement price for those products if certain conditions are met.
Determining authorities are not prevented from paying community pharmacies for the services that they provide in conjunction with the supply or administration of those vaccines or antivirals.
Parent Act: The National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006
Date Made: 11 December 2022
Date Laid: 13 December 2022
Coming into force date: 06 January 2023
Statutory Instruments with Clear Reports
16 January 2023
SL(6)311 – The Non-Domestic Rating (Demand Notices) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2023
Procedure: Made Negative
Billing authorities are required to serve NDR demand notices (rates bills) under Part II of the Non-Domestic Rating (Collection and Enforcement) (Local Lists) Regulations 1989. Demand notices must be accompanied by explanatory notes.
The content of the explanatory notes is reviewed on a regular basis to ensure they accurately reflect the system for NDR in Wales. Changes are required to ensure that the information accompanying demand notices is relevant to the arrangements that will be in place from 1 April 2023. For example:
- The current NDR list was compiled on 1 April 2017, based on an antecedent valuation date (AVD) of 1 April 2015. The next NDR list will be compiled on 1 April 2023, following revaluation based on an AVD of 1 April 2021. The prescribed explanatory information to be provided by billing authorities alongside a demand notice currently includes specific references that are relevant only to the 2017 rating list. These Regulations update these references so that they are relevant to the 2023 rating list.
- A new NDR appeals process will apply from 1 April 2023, therefore these Regulations amend the explanatory notes to reflect that change.
- A now-outdated reference in the explanatory notes to uplifting the NDR multiplier by reference to the Retail Price Index is being removed.
- The reference to transitional relief is amended to reflect the transitional relief that applies to the 2023 rating list.
Parent Act: the Local Government Finance Act 1988
Date Made: 05 January 2023
Date Laid: 09 January 2023
Coming into force date: 31 January 2023