Yesterday saw the release of the Scottish Government’s Programme for 2025/26
In a huge step forward for consumer safety and professional standards in Scotland’s aesthetics sector, the programme included confirmation of the introduction of the Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures Bill (NSCP).
BABTAC (British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology) have been instrumental in bringing this Bill to parliament, with our CEO Lesley Blair MBE a member of Cosmetics Informed and Empowered Public Sub-Group, part of the Scottish Government's Interventions Expert Group, while also providing our own submission to their open consultation recently The NSCP bill will be proposed this session, with cross-party support by March 2026 and introduced to The Scottish Parliament by 2026.
This will mark a year since the unveiling of our BABTAC’s T.I.M.E Campaign (a consumer awareness initiative that provides the framework necessary to ensure that consumers are aware of what to be mindful of when booking a service with a beauty professional.) at The Scottish Parliament, This event was hosted by BABTAC CEO Lesley Blair MBE, and supported by MSPs and other key industry figures.
BABTAC CEO Lesley Blair MBE comments “Previous statistics proved that most consumers assume, sometimes incorrectly, that all therapists hold fit for purpose qualifications. Due to the lack of regulations governing both the industry and the standardisation of training, not all 'training certificates' are always what they seem. We saw an urgent need to educate the consumer through our T.I.M.E initiative on how to identify professional therapists and services. We also believe T.I.M.E can be a tool to assist government concurrently before and during the legislation process by educating consumers to make safer choices too.”
The Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures Bill (NSCP) will:
- Regulate the delivery of certain non-surgical procedures offered for cosmetic or lifestyle purposes to support the safety of those who undergo the procedures
- Ensure that certain procedures are delivered in suitable premises and registered with an appropriate body
- Make provision to support the enforcement of appropriate standards for service providers to ensure consistent quality of care
Scotland leads the way with UK regulation
The announcement of the bill not only paves the way for essential regulation of non-surgical procedures, but could also set precedent for the rest of the UK, which now lags behind Scotland in terms of pending legislation.
Lesley continues “With Scotland firmly placed on the map at the forefront of industry, we’re thrilled to have played an instrumental part in the inclusion of this Non-Surgical Procedures Bill, which is so important and necessary for the future of the sector in Scotland. With the media regularly reporting treatments going wrong, our industry is under scrutiny, so it's more important than ever for consumers to be able to identify and support true professionals. This announcement is a huge step forward for client safety and professional standards.” We will continue to support and advise both Scottish and the wider UK government with insights and recommendations to ensure the final Bill is valid, robust and enforceable, while allowing provision for ongoing evaluation”