Written question WQ96982

The Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 defines tattooing as: “The insertion into punctures made in an individual’s skin, or mucous membrane, of any colouring material designed to leave a semi-permanent or permanent mark (including micropigmentation)”.

Micropigmentation (semi-permanent make-up) has been included in the definition since the Act was introduced in 2015. No distinction has been made in the Act between tattooing and semi-permanent make-up as separate procedures because the latter is a form of tattooing.

Predecessor legislation, The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, established a registration scheme for tattooing, acupuncture, electrolysis, and piercing, and was later amended to include semi-permanent skin colouring. The Act was intended to replace this registration scheme with a more robust and consistent licensing scheme, so transposed the same procedures as the basis of the licensing scheme.

The Bill was consulted on extensively. The Senedd’s Health and Social Care Committee heard evidence, including from representatives of the semi-permanent makeup and beauty industry. More recently, the regulations that provide the detail of the licensing scheme were subject to two separate public consultations.

It is therefore not correct to state that semi-permanent make-up was included in the legislation without consultation.

The purpose of the licensing scheme is to require consistent standards of infection prevention and control that are maintained. Therefore, the procedure-specific qualifications of applicants are not considered, but all applicants are required to have the Level 2 award in infection prevention and control for special procedures.