Professional qualifications
The Act introduces a system for the recognition of professional qualifications across the UK internal market. This will allow professionals qualified in one of the four parts of the UK to access the same profession in a different part without needing to requalify. These provisions will only apply in relation to professions for which new qualification or experience requirements are introduced, or existing ones changed, in any part of the UK.
	This Part of the Act is concerned with access to professions that are regulated in law. This is where access to a profession, including undertaking certain activities or using a specific professional title, is limited by legislation to individuals who hold specific qualifications or experience.
	Often, access to a profession or occupation will require specific professional qualifications (such as a degree, diploma or award) attesting that an individual has attained a certain level of competence, training or knowledge relevant to that profession. Examples include a Bachelor of Medicine degree or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. There may also be requirements to hold more general qualifications to a certain level (such as a requirement to have a certain number of A levels), or to have undertaken certain types of experience.
	Although beyond the scope of this part of the Act, in addition to professionals regulated in law, some professions are voluntarily regulated by professional bodies without underpinning legislation. Such professions include those regulated through voluntary membership of a professional body, including chartered professional bodies, which often require compliance with certain requirements and qualification standards, but do not restrict access to the profession generally.
	There is currently no overarching system or consistent approach for the recognition of professional qualifications between the four parts making up the UK internal market. Therefore, if professional divergence increases across the UK, professionals could have greater limitations on their ability to practise across the UK than exists currently.
	Accordingly, the main objective of this part of the Act is to avoid new barriers to the movement of professionals within the UK internal market, by making provision for an overarching system of mutual recognition of professional qualifications that applies across the UK.
	This part of the Act establishes that an individual who is qualified to practise a profession in one of the four UK nations will be automatically recognised in respect of the equivalent profession in another part of the UK, without needing to requalify. This principle will only apply to a profession when a new provision in respect of qualifications or experience is introduced, or when there is a change made to existing qualification or experience requirements for a profession which results in a limit to the access to a profession in a part of the UK.
	This Part of the Act also allows for the disapplication of the automatic recognition process, provided that an alternative process for recognition is instituted that complies with specific principles set out in the Act. The process will have to have legislative backing and will be administered by the relevant professional regulator (or, if there is not one, whichever of the UK Government or devolved administrations is responsible for the profession).
	The principles that must be complied with for the alternative process include that: for the purposes of accessing a profession, qualifications or experience obtained in another part of the UK have to be taken into account and are to be treated the same as ‘like’ qualifications or experience obtained in the relevant part (where the individual is seeking recognition). If the qualifications or experience do not meet the required standard, an assessment should be offered to allow the professional the opportunity to demonstrate the required knowledge and skills. If the knowledge and skills required can be demonstrated either by qualifications or experience or the assessment, the individual must be recognised and permitted to practise that profession in the relevant part of the UK.
	Professionals also benefit from provisions ensuring equal treatment in respect of the ongoing practice of a profession under this part of the Act. Professionals qualified in another part of the UK cannot be treated less favourably in respect of ongoing practice requirements than those qualified in the relevant part, based on where in the UK their qualifications or experience were obtained or the type of qualifications they have (unless this is justified). This means that professionals cannot be required to meet higher ongoing requirements than locally qualified professionals as part of their ongoing practise, such as continuing professional development or insurance requirements.