Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024

31 Monitoring and evaluation of continuing professional development

(1) The Scottish Ministers must, in relation to each CPD scheme—

(a) monitor the impact of the CPD scheme, and

(b) prepare one or more reports on the impact and effectiveness of the CPD scheme (having had regard to the findings of that monitoring and the matters to be considered by virtue of subsection (2)).

(2) For the purposes of monitoring a CPD scheme under subsection (1), the Scottish Ministers must, in particular, consider whether the CPD scheme in question—

(a) is accessible to the persons to whom the CPD scheme relates, including by reference to—

(i) where CPD activities take place,

(ii) the range, format and type of CPD activities that are available, and

(iii) the costs associated with undertaking the CPD activities,

(b) requires CPD activities to be undertaken only where it is appropriate and proportionate to do so.

(3) Monitoring under subsection (1)(a) may be carried out in such manner and for such period or periods as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate for the CPD scheme in question.

(4) The number and frequency of reports prepared under subsection (1)(b) is to be as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate for the CPD scheme in question.

(5) The Scottish Ministers must, after preparing a report under this section—

(a) lay a copy of the report before the Scottish Parliament, and

(b) publish the report.

(6) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations modify subsection (2) to add, amend or remove a matter to be considered.

(7) Regulations under subsection (6) are subject to the affirmative procedure.

(8) In this section—

(a) a reference to—

(i) a CPD scheme is a reference to any set of CPD activities which a person described in a paragraph of section 30(1) may or must undertake as a result of regulations under that section,

(ii) a person to whom a CPD scheme relates is a reference to a person who may or must undertake certain CPD activities as a result of regulations made under section 30,

(b) “CPD activities” has the same meaning as in section 30(3).