Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee
Meeting date: Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Official Report
457KB pdf
Subordinate Legislation
Equality Act 2010 (Qualifications Body Regulator and Relevant Qualifications) (Scotland) Regulations 2010 (SSI 2010/315)
Education (Fees and Awards) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2010 (SSI 2010/325)
Agenda item 4 concerns consideration of subordinate legislation. We have before us two negative instruments. Do members have any comments on the instruments?
I have no objection to either instrument, but I have a difficulty with the drafting of the explanatory note to SSI 2010/315. I defy anyone to read the second sentence of the explanatory note and understand it, even at the third or fourth attempt.
I will read the paragraph, for the record.
“Section 96(6) of the Equality Act 2010 (“the Act”) places a duty on qualifications bodies to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. That duty does not apply in so far as the appropriate regulator specifies provisions, criteria or practices in relation to which the body is not subject, or is subject, but in relation to which such adjustments as the regulator specifies should not be made.”
There are at least two double negatives in that second sentence. The fourth paragraph of page 1 of the executive note contains a far clearer explanation of what that sentence means.
Given that this is supposed to be an explanatory note, I would make a plea, in the manner of the Plain English Campaign, for explanatory notes to be written in English.
Or Gaelic.
Indeed.
I am sure that the Government’s legislation team will take your comments on board. Whether they will be acted on is another matter.
As members have no other comments, we move to formal consideration of the instruments. Does the committee agree that it has no recommendation to make on SSI 2010/315 and SSI 2010/325?
Members indicated agreement.
The next meeting of the committee will be on Wednesday 6 October.
Meeting closed at 12:57.