Commentary on provisions of Act Section 7: Assistance centre
Subsection (1) places an obligation on the Secretary of State to ensure there is a designated person (the assistance centre) which provides advice and assistance to individuals who wish to gain recognition in, and practise in, a regulated profession in the UK, and to other persons as the Secretary of State considers appropriate. The assistance centre will help UK-qualified professionals to provide services overseas, and overseas-qualified professionals to get their qualifications recognised in the UK. It will do this by providing a signposting and enquiry service, to help professionals identify the relevant UK or overseas regulator to get their qualifications recognised. It will also provide a website with information provided by the regulators themselves on the entry requirements for a profession.
					Subsection (2) places an obligation on regulators of professions in the UK to, when requested, provide the designated assistance centre with any information it may need to carry out the functions under the arrangements detailed in subsection (1).
Subsection (3) places an obligation on the assistance centre to, when requested, provide the Secretary of State with any information relating to the advice and assistance functions provided by the assistance centre, as outlined in subsection (1).
Subsection (4) provides that any information shared between regulators in the UK and the assistance centre does not breach confidentiality obligations or any other restriction on the disclosure of information.
Subsection (5) explains that no provision in this Section requires information to be disclosed where to do so would breach data protection legislation, as defined in the Data Protection Act 2018, section 3(9). The obligations imposed in this Section are to be considered when determining whether any disclosure breaches that legislation.