Research and analysis

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill: Impact assessment - RPC opinion (green-rated)

Regulatory Policy Committee opinion on the Department for Education’s impact assessment (IA) in respect of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

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Details

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp Bill makes provision about:  the safeguarding and welfare of children;  support for children in, or leaving, care;  regulation of care workers, and of establishments and agencies under Part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000;  employment of children;  breakfast club provision and school uniform;  attendance of children at school;  regulation of independent educational institutions;  inspections of schools and colleges;  teacher misconduct;  academies and teachers at academies;  school places and admissions;  establishing new schools;  and repealing section 128 of the Education Act 2002.

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp Department has defined six measures in the Bill as regulatory provisions, as these relate to business activity, in line with the definition of a regulatory provision in the Better Regulation Framework guidance. »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp RPC opinion focused its scrutiny on these.

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp regulatory provisions present a varying range of options in the individual IAs, including do-minimum, non-regulatory and other viable alternative options.  »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp summary IA estimates that the implementation of the regulatory provisions arising from primary and related secondary legislation will result in a total equivalent annual net direct cost to business of £1 million, with a net present social value of -£47 million.  »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýappse impacts include familiarisation costs, administrative costs and reporting costs, which will be borne by independent schools, online educational providers and businesses in the children’s social care sector. »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp IAs provide a sufficient SaMBA as there are minimal burdens faced by business as a result of the regulation, and exemption would run contrary to the safeguarding objectives of the measures. Full details can be found in the opinion’s annex.

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp relevant impact assessment can be found .

Updates to this page

Published 3 February 2025

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