Provision by Provision Commentary Scheme membership Section 71: Duration of Scheme membership
135.Section 71 inserts a new section 45A (Duration of Scheme membership) into the PVG Act. Section 45A(1) sets the length of PVG scheme membership at five years. Section 45A(3)(a) requires Ministers to contact the persons mentioned in subsection (4) (namely, the scheme member and each organisation, personnel supplier and relevant regulatory body for which they know the scheme member is carrying out a regulated role) three months before membership is due to expire to alert them that expiry is approaching. Section 45A(3)(b) allows Ministers to notify a person other than an organisation (for example, an individual employing a personal carer through self-directed support) that expiry is approaching.
136.Section 45A(5) and (6) work together to ensure that information about a scheme member who participates in the Scheme for both types of regulated roles but notice of expiry relates to only one of those types of regulated role. In that case, the notice in relation to that type of regulated role to the organisation (see definition in section 97(1) of the PVG Act), personnel supplier, relevant regulatory body or any other person for whom the scheme member is doing a regulated role must not disclose information about the scheme member’s participation in the Scheme in relation to that other type of regulated role (or the fact that the scheme member participates in the Scheme in relation to that other type of regulated role).
137.In cases where a scheme member has applied for renewal of membership before the date of expiry, and where Ministers have not determined the application, then membership must continue until Ministers’ determination of the renewal application occurs (see subsection (7)).