Teaching and Higher Education Bill [H.L.] - continued        House of Commons

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  PART IV
  MISCELLANEOUS AND GENERAL
 
Miscellaneous
Inspection of vocational training by HM Chief Inspector of Schools in Wales.     31. - (1) This section applies to training leading to an external qualification which is provided in Wales in pursuance of arrangements made by the Secretary of State under section 2(2)(f) of the Employment and Training Act 1973.
 
      (2) The Chief Inspector shall, if requested to do so by the Secretary of State, arrange for any person providing training to which this section applies to be inspected under this section.
 
      (3) A request by the Secretary of State under this section may relate to one or more such persons, and shall specify-
 
 
    (a) the person or persons concerned, and
 
    (b) the form or forms of vocational training to which the inspection is to relate.
      (4) Before making any such request the Secretary of State shall consult the Chief Inspector as to the matters to be specified in the request in accordance with subsection (3).
 
      (5) Any inspection under this section shall be conducted by one or more of the following, namely-
 
 
    (a) any of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools in Wales, or
 
    (b) any additional inspector authorised under paragraph 2 of Schedule 1 to the School Inspections Act 1996;
  but such an inspector or inspectors may be assisted by such other persons (whether or not members of the Chief Inspector's staff) as the Chief Inspector thinks fit.
 
      (6) In conducting an inspection under this section, the inspector or inspectors shall act in accordance with any instructions or guidelines given from time to time by the Secretary of State.
 
      (7) Where an inspection under this section has been completed, the inspector or inspectors shall make a written report on the inspection, and shall send the report to the Secretary of State.
 
      (8) The Secretary of State may arrange for any report of an inspection under this section to be published in such manner as he considers appropriate; and section 42A(2) to (4) of the School Inspections Act 1996 shall apply in relation to the publication of any such report by the Secretary of State as they apply in relation to the publication of a report by the Chief Inspector under any of the provisions mentioned in section 42A(2).
 
      (9) In this section-
 
 
    "the Chief Inspector" means Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in Wales;
 
    "external qualification" means a vocational qualification awarded or authenticated by such person or body as may be specified in or under regulations.
Inspection of careers services by HM Chief Inspector of Schools in Wales.     32. - (1) This section applies to relevant services provided in Wales in pursuance of arrangements made or directions given by the Secretary of State under section 10 of the Employment and Training Act 1973.
 
      (2) The Chief Inspector shall, if requested to do so by the Secretary of State, arrange for any person providing, or arranging for the provision of, relevant services in accordance with such arrangements or directions to be inspected under this section.
 
      (3) An inspection of any such person under this section shall consist of a review of the way in which he is discharging his responsibilities under or by virtue of the arrangements or directions in question, having regard to any guidance given by the Secretary of State with respect to the provision of relevant services.
 
      (4) A request by the Secretary of State under this section may relate to one or more such persons, and shall specify both-
 
 
    (a) the person or persons concerned, and
 
    (b) the relevant services to which the inspection is to relate.
      (5) Before making any such request the Secretary of State shall consult the Chief Inspector as to the matters to be specified in the request in accordance with subsection (4).
 
      (6) Subsections (5) to (8) of section 31 shall apply in relation to an inspection under this section as they apply in relation to an inspection under that section.
 
      (7) In this section-
 
 
    "the Chief Inspector" means Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in Wales;
 
    "relevant services" has the same meaning as in sections 8 and 9 of the Employment and Training Act 1973 (provision of careers services).
Power of funding councils in England and Wales to secure provision of certain further education.     33. - (1) Section 3 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 (functions with respect to part-time education and full-time education for those over 18) shall be amended as follows.
 
      (2) For subsection (3) there shall be substituted-
 
 
    "(3) A council may secure the provision of facilities for education within paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (1) above-
 
 
    (a) for the population of their area, where they are not required to do so by virtue of that subsection, or
 
    (b) for other persons."
      (3) In subsection (5), for "to which subsection (1) above applies" there shall be substituted "within paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (1) above".
 
Joint exercise of functions of funding councils in Scotland.     34. Before section 60 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992, there shall be inserted the following section-
 
 
"Joint exercise of certain functions.     59A. - (1) The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council and the Scottish Further Education Funding Council ("the councils") may, with the approval of the Secretary of State, enter into arrangements for the joint discharge of such of their functions as may be so approved.
 
    (2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) above, arrangements under that subsection may include arrangements-
 
 
    (a) for an individual to hold appointments as both-
 
      (i) the chief officer of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council under paragraph 2 of Schedule 7 to this Act; and
 
      (ii) an equivalent officer under an order under section 7 of this Act establishing the Scottish Further Education Funding Council;
 
    (b) for such functions to be carried out by-
 
      (i) a joint committee of the councils,
 
      (ii) a member of either of the councils, or
 
      (iii) an officer or employee of the councils or of either of them;
 
    (c) permitting the creation by the councils of a body corporate to carry out such of their functions to which such arrangements relate as the councils may delegate to it;
 
    (d) for staff to be employed jointly by the councils;
 
    (e) for the staff of either of the councils-
 
      (i) to carry out such functions on behalf of the other council;
 
      (ii) to be transferred to any body corporate created in accordance with such arrangements.
      (3) Where a body corporate is created by virtue of subsection (2)(c) above-
 
 
    (a) employment with that body shall be included among the kinds of employment to which a scheme under section 1 of the Superannuation Act 1972 can apply; and
 
    (b) the councils shall pay to the Treasury, at such times as the Treasury may direct, such sums as the Treasury may determine in respect of the increase attributable to paragraph (a) above in the sums payable out of money provided by Parliament under that Act.
      (4) In this section-
 
 
    "functions" includes powers and duties; and
 
    "joint committee" includes any sub-committee of such a committee."
 
General
Orders and regulations.     35. - (1) Any power of the Secretary of State to make an order or regulations under this Act shall be exercised by statutory instrument.
 
      (2) A statutory instrument containing-
 
 
    (a) an order under section 7 or 8, or
 
    (b) (subject to the following provisions of this section) any regulations under this Act,
  shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
 
      (3) Subsection (2) does not apply to the first regulations to be made-
 
 
    (a) in relation to the Council under section 1(5), or
 
    (b) in relation to the General Teaching Council for Wales under section 1(5) as applied by an order under section 8(1),
  and no such regulations shall be made (whether alone or with other regulations) unless a draft of the statutory instrument containing the regulations has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.
 
      (4) Subsection (2) does not apply to the first regulations to be made under section 22; and no such regulations shall be made (whether alone or with other regulations) unless a draft of the statutory instrument containing the regulations has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.
 
      (5) That subsection also does not apply to-
 
 
    (a) any regulations in relation to which paragraph (b) of section 22(7) applies, or
 
    (b) any other regulations under section 22 a draft of which has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.
      (6) Any order or regulations under this Act may make different provision for different cases, circumstances or areas and may contain such incidental, supplemental, saving or transitional provisions as the Secretary of State thinks fit.
 
      (7) Any order or regulations under this Act may make different provision in relation to England and Wales respectively.
 
      (8) Nothing in this Act shall be read as affecting the generality of subsection (6).
 
      (9) Once the Council or (as the case may be) the General Teaching Council for Wales have been established, the Secretary of State shall, before making regulations under Chapter I of Part I of this Act, consult the Council to which the regulations will relate.
 
General interpretation.     36. In this Act-
 
 
    "the Council" means the body corporate referred to in section 1(1);
 
    "prescribed" means prescribed by regulations;
 
    "registered teacher" means (subject to paragraph 7 of Schedule 2) a person for the time being registered under section 3;
 
    "regulations" means regulations made by the Secretary of State under this Act.
Minor and consequential amendments and repeals.     37. - (1) The minor and consequential amendments set out in Schedule 3 shall have effect.
 
      (2) The enactments specified in Schedule 4 are repealed to the extent specified.
 
Northern Ireland.     38. An Order in Council under paragraph 1(1)(b) of Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland Act 1974 (legislation for Northern Ireland in the interim period) which contains a statement that it is made only for purposes corresponding to those of sections 22 to 24 and 26 or sections 29 and 30-
 
 
    (a) shall not be subject to paragraph 1(4) and (5) of that Schedule (affirmative resolution of both Houses of Parliament); but
 
    (b) shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
Short title, commencement and extent.     39. - (1) This Act may be cited as the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998.
 
      (2) This Act shall be included in the list of Education Acts set out in section 578 of the Education Act 1996.
 
      (3) In this Act-
 
    sections 22 to 28,
    {d3} sections 35 and 36,
    section 38, and
    this section,
  come into force on the day on which this Act is passed.
 
      (4) The remaining provisions of this Act shall come into force on such day as the Secretary of State may by order appoint, and different days may be appointed for different provisions and for different purposes.
 
      (5) Subject to subsections (6) to (8), this Act extends to England and Wales only.
 
      (6) The following provisions extend to Scotland-
 
    sections 16 and 17,
    section 21,
    sections 27 to 30,
    sections 34 and 35, and
    this section.
      (7) The following provisions extend to Northern Ireland-
 
    section 38, and
    this section.
      (8) The amendment or repeal by this Act of an enactment extending to Scotland or Northern Ireland extends also to Scotland or, as the case may be, Northern Ireland.
 
 
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