Commentary on provisions of the Act Section 4: Preparation of standards
Section 4 amends section ZA11 of the 2009 Act in relation to the preparation of standards.
	Section 4 removes the requirement for standards to be prepared by a group of persons approved by IfATE and replaces it with the power for standards to be either prepared by a group of persons and approved by the Secretary of State or to be prepared by the Secretary of State where the Secretary of State is satisfied that this is more appropriate. Subsection 6 makes a consequential amendment to section A1 of the 2009 Act (meaning of "approved English apprenticeship" etc) to refer to published standards.
	Section 4 also enables the Secretary of State to commission a group of persons to prepare a standard if they consider that there is a need for a standard, and that the standard should be prepared by a group (approved by the Secretary of State) and the standard would not be prepared unless the Secretary of State convenes a group for this purpose.
	The Secretary of State will have a duty to provide information about matters that they will take into account when deciding that it would be more appropriate for them to prepare a standard than a ‘group of persons’.