Meeting of the Parliament 17 March 2026 [Draft]
Amendment 34 is a small drafting amendment that intends to improve the clarity of section 20. As the section is currently written, subsection (1) could potentially be read on its own without clear reference to subsection (3), even though the two provisions are meant to work together. Amendment 34 would simply insert the words
“Subject to subsection (3)”
so that it is clear that subsection (1) must be read alongside the conditions that are set out in subsection (3). It would not change the policy underlying the bill. The amendment is purely about making the relationship between those two provisions clearer, so that anyone who interprets or applies it can more easily understand how the section is intended to operate. In short, it offers a straightforward clarification that would improve the bill’s drafting and help to avoid any potential confusion. I hope that members will feel able to support amendment 34.
The purpose of amendment 36 is to introduce an additional safeguard in relation to the commencement of sections 1 to 14. As members will be aware, having heard this afternoon’s debate, those sections contain the core provisions that will establish the new framework for the regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures, and they will play a central role in shaping how the system operates in practice. Given the significance of those provisions, it is important that necessary arrangements, guidance and regulatory structures are fully in place before those sections are brought into force.
Effective regulation depends not only on what is written in legislation but on the systems and structures that need to be implemented and ready to operate. Amendment 36 would therefore make it clear that the regulations that are made under subsection (2) to commence sections 1 to 14 cannot take effect unless the condition that is set out in the new subsection is satisfied. In practical terms, that would link the commencement of those key provisions to the readiness of a wider regulatory framework, rather than simply allowing them to come into force on a date that might not reflect whether the system is fully prepared to operate.
My intention is not to delay the implementation of the bill or to create unnecessary barriers to progressing it; rather, it is to ensure that, when the new regime comes in, it will be workable and enforceable. There is confusion among those in the business about how all this will work in practice. It would be far better to get everything correct now, so that people understand what they are doing before the bill is implemented. For that reason, I ask that members support amendment 36.
I move amendment 34.