NEWS REGULATION The Walled Garden, Bush Estate, Midlothian EH26 0SB Tel: 0131 445 5577 Fax: 0131 445 5548 admin@select.org.uk
Follow SELECT online at: TWITTER @Updates_SELECT @Training_SELECT @Regulate_SELECT FACEBOOK SELECT.TheECAofS
Support gets stronger in the battle for regulation
The latest Scottish Government consultation reveals most people back our calls for change in the industry
Visit our websites at:
select.org.uk select.org.uk/training cabletalkmagazine.com selectawards.co.uk
Please phone our Membership Team on 0131 445 5577 to apply to become a Member of SELECT or if you would like more information about joining. Alternatively you can email us on memberservices@select.org.uk or submit an online enquiry.
CABLEtalk is the official magazine of SELECT and is distributed free to qualifying readers. ISSN 1365-3288 SELECT is the trading style of the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland. The SELECT logo is a registered Collective Mark.
6
CABLEtalk
S
ELECT has welcomed the results of the latest consultation on regulation of the electrical industry, which again shows an overwhelming majority of respondents in favour of legislation. The outcome of the Scottish Government consultation, which closed on 12 February, reveals that, out of the 100 organisations and individuals who took part, the “vast majority” thought that voluntary measures don’t work and that regulation was required. Alan Wilson, SELECT’s Managing Director, said: “There is a sense that the campaign is gathering increasing momentum and the strength of the consultation responses illustrates that our conviction is shared by the majority of those in the sector. “While we would all like to think that voluntary action would work, it’s quite clear from the responses that the sector needs government legislation to bring about ‘comfort and security’ for customers across the country and end the scourge of unqualified people passing themselves off as electrical professionals. “We have been hugely encouraged by the levels of support we have received, particularly cross-party
APRIL/MAY 2021
parliamentary support, and the impressive range of people who have publicly backed us through channels such as our Wall of Support. “The result of this consultation is another enormously significant advance and we would like to thank all those parties who took part.” The encouraging results were revealed to members of the parliamentary Electricians Working Group in a letter from Jamie Hepburn MSP, the Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills, who set up the consultation. Mr Hepburn’s letter revealed that, of the 100 responses, 40 were from organisations and 44 were from individuals, the majority of whom were in favour of regulation. The minister now wants the Working Group to reconvene to discuss the responses and says that it will be the responsibility of whoever holds his office after the Holyrood elections in May to decide the next steps. The results follow a previous consultation by Conservative MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston, which closed on 10 November last year and received more than 140 submissions, more than 90 per of which were positive. Alan Wilson
