Commencement
70.Subject to one exception, sections 1 to 16 are to be commenced by order of the Secretary of State, after consultation with the National Assembly for Wales. The exception appears in section 17(3) which provides that section 13, in so far as it relates to adoptions and prospective adoptions in relation to which the National Assembly for Wales may charge a fee under section 91A of the Adoption and Children Act 2002, comes into force on a day appointed by the National Assembly for Wales. Before bringing sections 9 to 12 into force, the Secretary of State must also consult the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland. Section 17 comes into force on Royal Assent.