An MSP who is leading the call for recognition of electrician as a regulated professions has urged as many people as possible to add their voices to a parliamentary consultation on the issue before it closes on Tuesday 10 November.
Speaking in an exclusive video interview with campaigning trade association Select, Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP reiterated his view that regulation of the electrical industry in Scotland would help reduce death and injury, bring significant economic benefits and encourage more women and people from ethnic minorities to take up the tools.
The MSP, who is the Scottish Conservative and Unionist party’s Shadow Spokesman for Education and Science, is proposing a bill which would be the culmination of a long-running campaign by Select and other industry bodies to safeguard the best interests of the public.
Mr Halcro Johnston said: “I am urging all electricians and everyone associated with the industry in Scotland to have their say in the consultation process, not just to stress the benefits of regulation but also to take the opportunity to highlight the impact of faulty electrical work carried out by unqualified people.”
A major survey carried out in 2018 showed that faulty electrical installations accounted for 7.1% of all fires in Scotland, and the damage caused to property by these fires cost in the region of £9.6 million.
Mr Halcro Johnston said his proposed bill has cross-party support in the Scottish Parliament chamber, with individual members of all parties making clear their backing for regulation.
He said: “I think there is a general appreciation that this needs to be done and that it is a good thing. I’m confident that it will get achieved in the next session of Parliament, which will be a fantastic achievement for both the sector and consumers.
“We want a simple straightforward approach to this issue, with a clear, accessible register of accredited professional electricians to assure the public that the work of appropriately qualified and registered electricians can be trusted by the public.
“And we certainly do not want to add extra bureaucracy to the existing workload of busy, highly-skilled firms and individuals.”
Select, which has been leading the fight for regulation for several years, welcomed the latest update from Mr Halcro Johnston and echoed his plea for electricians to have their say before the consultation closes.
The video interview can be watched at https://youtu.be/KGIu4QY0iu4. The consultation – which closes on 10 November – can be accessed at www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/Bills/115752.aspx