Part IGrant and Revocation of Recognition
Application for recognition of professional qualification
1(1)A qualifying body may apply to the Secretary of State for an order declaring a qualification offered by it to be a recognised professional qualification for the purposes of this Part of this Act.
(2)Any such application—
(a)shall be made in such manner as the Secretary of State may direct, and
(b)shall be accompanied by such information as the Secretary of State may reasonably require for the purpose of determining the application.
(3)At any time after receiving an application and before determining it the Secretary of State may require the applicant to furnish additional information.
(4)The directions and requirements given or imposed under sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) may differ as between different applications.
(5)Any information to be furnished to the Secretary of State under this section shall, if he so requires, be in such form or verified in such manner as he may specify.
In the case of examination standards, the verification required may include independent moderation of the examinations over such period as the Secretary of State considers necessary.
(6)Every application shall be accompanied by a copy of the applicant’s rules and of any guidance issued by it which is intended to have continuing effect and is issued in writing or other legible form.
Grant and refusal of recognition
2(1)The Secretary of State may, on an application duly made in accordance with paragraph 1 and after being furnished with all such information as he may require under that paragraph, make or refuse to make an order (a “recognition order”) declaring the qualification in respect of which the application was made to be a recognised professional qualification for the purposes of this Part of this Act.
In this Part of this Act a “recognised qualifying body” means a qualifying body offering a recognised professional qualification.
(2)The Secretary of State shall not make a recognition order unless it appears to him, from the information furnished by the applicant and having regard to any other information in his possession, that the requirements of Part II of this Schedule are satisfied as respects the qualification.
(3)Where the Secretary of State refuses an application for a recognition order he shall give the applicant a written notice to that effect specifying which requirements, in his opinion, are not satisfied.
(4)A recognition order shall state the date on which it takes effect.
Revocation of recognition
3(1)A recognition order may be revoked by a further order made by the Secretary of State if at any time it appears to him—
(a)that any requirement of Part II of this Schedule is not satisfied in relation to the qualification to which the recognition order relates, or
(b)that the qualifying body has failed to comply with any obligation to which it is subject by virtue of this Part of this Act.
(2)An order revoking a recognition order shall state the date on which it takes effect and that date shall not be earlier than three months after the day on which the revocation order is made.
(3)Before revoking a recognition order the Secretary of State shall give written notice of his intention to do so to the qualifying body, take such steps as he considers reasonably practicable for bringing the notice to the attention of persons holding the qualification or in the course of studying for it and publish it in such manner as he thinks appropriate for bringing it to the attention of any other persons who are in his opinion likely to be affected.
(4)A notice under sub-paragraph (3) shall state the reasons for which the Secretary of State proposes to act and give particulars of the rights conferred by sub-paragraph (5).
(5)A body on which a notice is served under sub-paragraph (3), any person holding the qualification or in the course of studying for it and any other person who appears to the Secretary of State to be affected may within three months after the date of service or publication, or within such longer time as the Secretary of State may allow, make written representations to the Secretary of State and, if desired, oral representations to a person appointed for that purpose by the Secretary of State; and the Secretary of State shall have regard to any representations made in accordance with this subsection in determining whether to revoke the recognition order.
(6)If in any case the Secretary of State considers it essential to do so in the public interest he may revoke a recognition order without regard to the restriction imposed by sub-paragraph (2) and notwithstanding that no notice has been given or published under sub-paragraph (3) or that the time for making representations in pursuance of such a notice has not expired.
(7)An order revoking a recognition order may contain such transitional provisions as the Secretary of State thinks necessary or expedient.
(8)A recognition order may be revoked at the request or with the consent of the qualifying body and any such revocation shall not be subject to the restrictions imposed by sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) or the requirements of sub-paragraphs (3) to (5).
(9)On making an order revoking a recognition order the Secretary of State shall give the qualifying body written notice of the making of the order, take such steps as he considers reasonably practicable for bringing the making of the order to the attention of persons holding the qualification or in the course of studying for it and publish a notice of the making of the order in such manner as he thinks appropriate for bringing it to the attention of any other persons who are in his opinion likely to be affected.