MSP proposes bill to protect "electrician" title

Electricians should be properly qualified, skilled and experienced in order to describe themselves as such, according to an MSP who wants to bring in a law to underpin safety and standards.

Jamie Halcro Johnson, Conservative member for Highlands and Islands, has opened a public consultation on his proposed Electricians (Scotland) Bill, which would ensure that electricians undertaking work are qualified to do so and effectively registered.

Mr Halcro Johnson believes that while thousands of electricians across Scotland carry out professional work to high standards, there is a body of evidence showing the level of unsafe electrical installations in domestic properties. He cites the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy as underlining the urgency of looking again at safety regulations.

"It is my aim to produce a solution that does not create burdensome costs for taxpayers nor create a significant intrusion into the work of qualified and competent electricians who are engaging in their trade in a professional manner", he writes in his foreword. "In my discussions with stakeholders, I have emphasised the need to work with the industry and to create a system that is accessible, both for those in the trade and the consumer.

"And I am pleased to say that this consultation has been produced with the support of a wide range of major professional bodies in the electrical industry."

Click here to access the consultation. The deadline for responses is 10 November 2020.