The Act Commentary on Sections Part 7 - Criminal Memoirs etc Section 158:  Qualifying offenders: supplementary
711.This section ensures that the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 does not prevent account being taken of a conviction for the purposes of this Part, and makes equivalent provision for Northern Ireland. It also disapplies provisions which provide that an offence is not treated as a conviction where an offender is given an absolute or conditional discharge in respect of it.