NAPIT have recently stepped up lobbying efforts during Electrical Fire Safety week, visiting the Liberal Democrats’ 2012 Autumn Conference – held in Brighton between 22 and 26 September.
The Political Party Conference gave NAPIT the opportunity to lobby Lib Dem MP’s and encourage political efforts to improve the quality of electrical work in homes across the UK.
As part of an ongoing commitment to this cause, NAPIT launched The Electrical Safety Roundtable (ESR) on 14 September 2012, bringing together a group of like-minded organisations from the electrical industry and other interested bodies, and aiming to gain parliamentary support to improve legislation, awareness and enforcement of standards in the electrical industry.
Formed initially as a one-off Westminster forum back in June 2012, the ESR sought to respond to widespread concern over poor promotion and enforcement of the existing Competent Person Scheme for electrical work, which still lacks the political support of its counterpart in the gas industry.
The group has already identified a number of opportunities to press for political change regarding the safety and quality of electrical work in the home, attracting the early interest of MP’s Clive Betts, Chair of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee and Barry Sheerman, Chair of the newly formed Home Safety Group, at their July meeting.
Through ongoing dialogue with policymakers, ESR has been working hard to propose solutions to the continuing dangers posed by unregistered electricians.
NAPIT’s attendance of the Lib Dem conference marks the beginning of renewed efforts to push electrical safety higher up the political agenda, focusing on key issues such as improving consumer awareness of the need to use a registered electrician and enforcing penalties for any electrician who breaks existing Building Regulations.
NAPIT will also be attending the Labour and Conservative Party conferences in the coming weeks, aiming to maximise parliamentary support and campaign for change to improve the industry, ensuring greater fairness for tradespeople and improving safety for homeowners across the UK.
For more details on NAPIT please visit their website at: www.napit.org.uk, alternatively for more details or news on the ESR please visit: www.electricalsafetyroundtable.co.uk