Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:43 pm on 15 December 2020.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I move the motion. The instrument makes further amendments to and additional transitional modifications to the application of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 to take account of the agreements made between the United Kingdom and the Swiss confederation and the EEA-EFTA countries on citizens' rights, following the UK's withdrawal from the EU insofar as those agreements relate to the mutual recognition of professional qualifications and the provision of temporary and occasional social care services in Wales.
The regulations are needed to amend the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Qualifications) (Wales) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 SI 2019/761 (W. 144), the principal regulations, before they come into force on IP completion day to make additional transitional provision required as a result of the United Kingdom's agreement with Switzerland and the EEA-EFTA countries.
The amendments made by these regulations mirror the effect of the UK Government's changes to its analogous legislation. They add an additional transitional provision to the principal regulations arising from both agreements, some of which affect all four EFTA states, such as mandatory co-operation required by regulators.
The additional transitional provision arising from the Swiss agreement includes an extended period to apply for a recognition decision under the pre-exit rules and an extended period in which social workers and social care managers can continue to rely on the pre-exit recognition of professional qualification arrangements to provide temporary and occasional services in Wales. The regulations also correct minor typographical errors in the principal regulations. Diolch yn fawr.