Amendment of section 4
3. In section 4(1) (qualifying examinations and primary United Kingdom qualifications)—
(a)for subsections (1) and (2) substitute the following subsections—
“(1) Subject to the provisions of this Part of this Act, a qualifying examination for the purposes of this Part of this Act is an examination held for the purpose of granting one or more primary United Kingdom qualifications by any one of the bodies or combinations of bodies in the United Kingdom which are included in a list maintained by the General Council of the bodies and combinations of bodies entitled to hold such examinations.
(1A) The General Council may from time to time amend the list.
(1B) The list maintained under subsection (1) shall be published in such manner as the General Council see fit.
(1C) The General Council shall only include in the list maintained under subsection (1) bodies or combinations of bodies that require from candidates at examinations a standard of proficiency that conforms to the prescribed standard of proficiency.
(1D) If the General Council have formed the provisional opinion that a body or combination of bodies included in the list maintained under subsection (1) should be removed from the list, they shall notify that opinion in writing to the body or combination of bodies concerned and shall allow them a reasonable opportunity to respond before determining whether or not to remove the body or combination of bodies from the list.”;
(b)in subsection (3)(a), for “any university in the United Kingdom” substitute “a body or combination of bodies included in the list maintained under subsection (1)”;
(c)in subsection (4), for “universities and other bodies specified in subsection (3) above” substitute “bodies and combinations of bodies included in the list maintained under subsection (1)”; and
(d)after subsection (4) insert the following subsection—
“(4A) If a body or combination of bodies is removed from the list maintained under subsection (1), primary United Kingdom qualifications granted by that body or combination of bodies during the period in respect of which it was on the list are still to be considered primary United Kingdom qualifications after that removal.”
Section 4 has been amended by the Medical Qualifications (Amendment) Act 1991 (c. 38), section 1, and by S.I. 1996/1591, 2000/1841, 2004/1947, 2007/1386 and 2008/1037.