Education (Scotland) Bill: business and regulatory impact assessment

Scottish Firms Impact Test

Professor Muir’s consultation and the Bill consultation resulted in a significant number of contributions from Scottish firms, supported by related engagement. This is set out in the section on consultation above, alongside their views and potential impacts of this Bill. These views informed the provisions within the Bill.

The Bill consultation report highlights how responses often focused on the practical implementation of qualifications as opposed to the legislative underpinnings of creating a new organisation with statutory functions. Responses tended to go beyond the set-up of a new qualifications body and instead focused on addressing potential reforms to the wider system (including areas relating to the independent review of qualifications and assessment and the Skills Delivery review), as well as specific aspects of current qualifications on offer and the structure of assessment. This was similarly the case for HM Chief Inspector provisions, where the inspection models, and practical and reporting aspects of inspection, tended to be the focus of the responses, rather than the legislative underpinnings and functions.

Once established and fully operational, there will be a requirement for both Qualifications Scotland and HM Chief Inspector of Education in Scotland to actively consider the impact of their operational and policy decisions on Scottish firms.