(f) use, and promote the use of, inclusive ways of communicating that ensure that children are able to receive information and express themselves in ways that best 30 meet their needs (in relation to speech, language or otherwise). (4) The first Scheme made under this section must— (a) specify the date by which the first report on its operation is to be published and laid before the Scottish Parliament under section 13, and (b) include any actions that the Scottish Ministers are to take in respect of the Scheme 35 during the period beginning with the date on which the Scheme is made and ending on the date that the first report on its operation is to be published. (5) The Scottish Ministers may amend the Scheme or make a new scheme to replace it at any time (and references in this Act to the Scheme include the Scheme as amended or replaced). 11 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill Part 3—Children’s rights scheme, child rights and wellbeing impact assessments and reporting duties (6) Section 12 sets out the procedure that the Scottish Ministers must follow to make, amend or remake the Scheme. (7) In this Part, “children” means persons under the age of 18. 12 Procedure for making, amending and remaking the Scheme 5 (1) In this section, a reference to the proposal is a reference to (as the case may be) a proposal to— (a) make the first scheme under section 11(1), (b) amend the Scheme, or (c) make a new scheme to replace the Scheme. 10 (2) In preparing the proposal, the Scottish Ministers— 1 (a) must have regard to— (i) any report of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child under paragraph 5 of article 44 of the Convention that the Scottish Ministers consider to be relevant, and 15 (ii) any other reports, suggestions, general recommendations or other documents issued by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child relating to the implementation of the Convention, the first optional protocol or the second optional protocol by the United Kingdom that the Scottish Ministers consider to be relevant, 20 (aa) may have regard to any international law or comparative law that they consider to be relevant, and (b) may have regard to any other document or matter that they consider to be relevant. (3) The Scottish Ministers must publish the proposal and consult— (a) children, 25 (b) the Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland, (ba) the Scottish Commission for Human Rights, and (c) such other persons as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate. (4) The Scottish Ministers may make such changes to the proposal as they consider appropriate following the consultation under subsection (3). 30 (5) The Scottish Ministers may not— (a) make the Scheme, (b) make an amendment to the Scheme, or (c) make a new scheme to replace the Scheme, until the proposal has been laid before the Scottish Parliament. 35 (6) A proposal may not be laid before the Scottish Parliament under subsection (5) unless a period of at least 28 days, beginning with the day on which the proposal was published under subsection (3), has elapsed. 12 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill Part 3—Children’s rights scheme, child rights and wellbeing impact assessments and reporting duties (7) The Scottish Ministers must publish the Scheme, the Scheme as amended or (as the case may be) the Scheme as remade in such manner as they consider appropriate. (8) It is immaterial that anything done by way of preparation of, or consultation in relation to, the first scheme under this section was done— 5 (a) before the Bill for this Act was passed, or (b) after that but before this section comes into force. 13 Reviewing and reporting on the Scheme (1) The Scottish Ministers must, as soon as practicable after the end of each reporting period— 10 (a) review the Scheme and its operation, and 1 (b) publish a report of their findings. (2) In reviewing the Scheme, the Scottish Ministers— (a) must take into account the following things if they have occurred in the reporting period— 15 (i) the Committee making a suggestion or general recommendation under article 45(d) of the Convention based on a report submitted by the United Kingdom under paragraph 1(b) of article 44 of the Convention, (ii) an amendment to the Convention or to an optional protocol to the Convention entering into force, 20 (iii) the Committee making a General Comment, (iiia) the Committee adopting views and findings under the third optional protocol, (iiib) the Committee making recommendations following days of general discussion, (iv) the United Kingdom ratifying a protocol to the Convention, 25 (v) a court making a strike down declarator or an incompatibility declarator, and (b) may take into account any international law or comparative law that they consider to be relevant, (c) may take into account any other document or matter that they consider to be 30 relevant. (3) A report under subsection (1) must include— (a) a summary of the actions taken by the Scottish Ministers for the purpose of— (i) ensuring compliance with the duty under section 6(1) during the reporting period and 35 (ii) securing better or further effect of the rights of children, (b) a statement as to whether or not they intend to amend the Scheme or make a new scheme to replace it in light of the findings of their review, and (c) a summary of any actions that they intend to take in the next reporting period. 13 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill Part 3—Children’s rights scheme, child rights and wellbeing impact assessments and reporting duties (4) A report under subsection (1) may include such other material as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate, whether relating to the operation of the Scheme or to the rights of children generally. (5) Before publishing a report under this section, the Scottish Ministers must consult the 5 following in relation to the action to be taken in pursuance of subsection (3)(c)— (a) children, (b) the Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland, (ba) the Scottish Commission for Human Rights, and (c) such other persons as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate. 10 (6) Each report published under this section must be— 1 (a) accompanied by a version of the report that children can understand, (b) published in such manner as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate, (c) laid before the Scottish Parliament as soon as practicable after it is published. (7) In this section— 15 “General Comment” means a comment prepared by the Committee under rule 77 of its rules of procedure, “recommendations following days of general discussion” means recommendations made by the Committee following days of general discussion under rule 79 of its rules of procedure, 20 “reporting period” means— (a) the period beginning with the date on which the Scheme is made and ending on the date specified for such a report in the Scheme (see section 11(4)), and (b) each subsequent period of a year, 25 “the Committee” means the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.