A recent report produced by the Communities & Local Government Select Committee into the certification of domestic electrical work in England has been welcomed by the industry.

The report makes a number of recommendations to improve the landscape in which certification takes place, including:


The Electrical Safety Council's (ESC) director general Phil Buckle said: “Our own research has illustrated the low level of public understanding of Part P of the Building Regulations, and the ESC is perfectly placed to assist the government and the industry in any public information campaign on this issue. The collaboration between NAPIT and CERTSURE to produce a single register of Part P-registered electricians will make it significantly simpler for the consumer to find a suitably qualified contractor.


"The ESC also supports the report's call for effective enforcement of Part P, although funding this via a levy on those registered with a scheme may undermine both the schemes and Part P itself.


"However, we cannot agree with the report’s claim that the competent person’s schemes allow incompetent electricians entry. Under Part P, around 27,000 more electrical contractors are having their competence assessed and samples of their work checked regularly, according to the government’s own impact assessment on Part P."