79.— (1) The Authority, with the consent of the Minister, may and, if directed by the Minister to do so and in accordance with the terms of the direction, shall, following consultation with any other person or body as the Authority thinks fit or as the Minister directs, by regulations provide for one or more than one scheme of education and training for the purposes of ensuring the ongoing maintenance of the professional competence of licensees in the provision of the property service or the class of property service which they are authorised to provide by their respective licences.

(2) Regulations made under this section in respect of a professional competence scheme may—

(a) be expressed to apply to—

(i) licensees who are individuals or a class of such licensees (including any such licensees who are partners in partnerships),

(ii) the principal officers of licensees which are bodies corporate or a class of such principal officers (including any such licensees which are partners in partnerships), or

(iii) any combination thereof,

and

(b) provide for the development, establishment and operation of the scheme by—

(i) the Authority only,

(ii) the Authority in conjunction with a body specified in the regulations, or

(iii) a body specified in the regulations under an arrangement with the Authority.