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Qualifications Wales Act 2015

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

Please note:

All reference to 'Parts' and 'sections' are from the Qualifications Wales Act 2015. For other versions of these Explanatory Notes, see More Resources.

  1. Introduction

    1. Background

    2. Summary of the Act

  2. Commentary on Sections

    1. Part 2: Establishment and Principal Aims of Qualifications Wales

      1. Section 2: Establishment of Qualifications Wales

      2. Section 3: Principal aims of Qualifications Wales

    2. Part 3: Recognition of Awarding Bodies

      1. Section 4: Recognition of awarding bodies

      2. Section 5: Duty to set general recognition criteria

      3. Section 6: Power to set qualification specific recognition criteria

      4. Section 7: Revision of general and qualification specific recognition criteria

      5. Section 8: General recognition of an awarding body

      6. Section 9: Qualification specific recognition of an awarding body

      7. Section 10: Rules about applications for recognition

    3. Part 4: Priority Qualifications and Approval of Qualifications

      1. Section 13: Duty to prepare list of priority qualifications

      2. Section 14: Restricted priority qualifications

      3. Section 15: Power to make arrangements for development of restricted priority qualification

      4. Section 16: Approval of a restricted priority qualification developed in accordance with section 15 arrangements

      5. Section 17: Approval of a restricted priority qualification in the absence of section 15 arrangements

      6. Section 18: Approval of unrestricted priority qualifications

      7. Section 19: Approval of qualifications that are not priority qualifications

      8. Section 20: Approval criteria

      9. Section 21: Power to specify minimum requirements

      10. Section 22: Conditions of approval

      11. Section 23: Duration of approval

      12. Section 24: Rules about applications for approval

      13. Section 25: Surrender of approval

      14. Section 26: Transitional provision in connection with surrender of approval

      15. Section 27: Withdrawal of approval

      16. Section 28: Transitional provision in connection with withdrawal of approval

    4. Part 5: Designation of Other Qualifications

      1. Section 29: Designation of other qualifications

      2. Section 30: Further provision about section 29 designations

      3. Section 31: Transitional provision in connection with section 29 designations

      4. Section 32: Revocation of section 29 designations

      5. Section 33: Rules about applications for designation

    5. Part 6: Further Provision Relevant to Recognition, Approval and Designation

      1. Section 34: Restriction on funding and provision of certain courses

      2. Section 35: Award in Wales of an approved qualification: restriction on application of conditions imposed by Ofqual

      3. Section 36: Restriction on application of conditions imposed by Qualifications Wales

    6. Part 7: Enforcement

      1. Section 37: Power to give directions

      2. Sections 38 to 40: Monetary penalties

      3. Sections 41 to 43: Costs recovery for imposition of sanctions; appeals and interest

      4. Section 44: Entry and inspection of premises

    7. Part 8: Supplementary

      1. Section 45: Provision of services etc by Qualifications Wales

      2. Section 46: Review and research

      3. Section 47: Policy statement and statement about consultation

      4. Section 48: Complaints

      5. Section 49: Charging scheme

      6. Section 52: Joint working

    8. Part 9: General

      1. Section 55: Regulations

      2. Section 56: Interpretation of references to “qualification”

      3. Section 57: General interpretation and index of defined expressions

      4. Section 58: Consequential amendments

      5. Section 59: Power to make consequential and transitional provision etc

      6. Section 60: Coming into force

      7. Section 61: Short title and inclusion as one of the Education Acts

    9. Schedule 1 Qualification Wales

      1. Part 1 – Establishment of Qualifications Wales

        1. Paragraph 1: Status

        2. Paragraph 2: Membership

        3. Paragraphs 3 to 9: The chair and ordinary members

        4. Paragraphs 10 to 16: The chief executive and other staff

        5. Paragraphs 17 and 18: Committees

        6. Paragraphs 19 to 21: Delegation

        7. Paragraphs 22 to 25: Procedure

        8. Paragraph 26:  Register of interests

        9. Paragraph 27:  Supplementary powers

        10. Paragraphs 28 to 30: Annual and other reports

        11. Paragraph 31: Finance

        12. Paragraphs –32 - 34: Accounts and audit

        13. Paragraph 35: Examination of use of resources

      2. Schedule 1 Part 2

        1. Paragraphs 36 - 40: Consequential Amendments

    10. Schedule 2: Transfers of Property and Staff to Qualifications Wales

    11. Schedule 3: Further Provision about Recognition of Awarding Bodies

      1. Paragraph 1: Duration of recognition

      2. Paragraphs 2 and 3: Standard Conditions of Recognition

      3. Paragraphs 4 and 5: Special conditions to which recognition may be subject

      4. Paragraphs 6 to 11: Fee capping conditions

      5. Paragraphs 12 to 16: Transfer conditions

      6. Paragraphs 17 and 18: Surrender of recognition

      7. Paragraphs 19 to 23: Withdrawal of Recognition

    12. Schedule 4: Consequential Amendments

  3. Record of Proceedings in National Assembly for Wales

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

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Explanatory Notes

Text created by the Welsh Government department responsible for the subject matter of the Act to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes accompany all Acts of the Welsh Parliament.

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