Meeting of the Parliament 26 March 2025
The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills is representing Scotland at the international summit on the teaching profession, along with the Educational Institute of Scotland and ministers and unions from across the United Kingdom. That is why I will respond on her behalf today.
The order’s purpose is routine, as was previously discussed at the Education, Children and Young People Committee, which supported it by a clear majority. It will ensure that qualifications Scotland is treated as a regulated body under the Public Bodies and Public Appointments etc (Scotland) Act 2003 before it is established in legislation.
The order enables ministers to begin the process of making regulated appointments to the board of qualifications Scotland, in line with the “Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies in Scotland”. The order ensures that the recruitment of members is overseen by the Ethical Standards Commissioner and guarantees that the appointments are made on merit, using methods that are fair and open.