New Scottish Government Backed Scheme Launched by the Plumbing Industry in Scotland

EDINBURGH, May 27, 2010 - A new scheme which will allow professional plumbing and
heating installers to self-certify drainage, heating and plumbing work,
including micro-renewable installations such as solar panels, which is
subject to a Building Warrant, was launched by the Minister for Transport,
Infrastructure and Climate Change, Stewart Stevenson MSP, at the Scottish and
Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers' Federation (SNIPEF) conference which was
held on Friday 21 May in East Kilbride.

The Scottish Ministers approved a Scheme for Certification of
Construction (Drainage, Heating & Plumbing Installations) at the end of last
year and at the same time, the Scottish Government's Building Standards
Division (BSD) appointed SNIPEF to run the Scheme. As well as being able to
self-certify their work, members of the scheme will also be able to display a
Scottish Government logo which will identify them as a member of the scheme.

Commenting on the launch, SNIPEF's Director & Secretary Robert
Burgon said "The Approved Certifier of Construction Scheme is a significant
step forward for the Plumbing Industry in Scotland. For the first time,
properly qualified plumbers will be able to self-certify their work under a
building warrant without waiting for a Local Authority inspector to inspect
their work and sign off a completion certificate".

Robert continued "The range of work covered under the scheme
which includes drainage, plumbing, heating, micro-renewables as well as a
selection of electrical work is also significant as the scheme covers not
only the traditional work areas of the industry such as drainage but it also
encompasses the new skills the industry is learning on micro-renewables".

SNIPEF President Tom Galloway said "SNIPEF has been working
for a number of years with officials from the Scottish Building Standards
Division to set up the scheme and the complex and wide ranging scope of the
scheme has meant a great deal of work on both sides to ensure that we have
ended up with a scheme which will benefit not only installers but also
clients".

The scheme will go live to the public in the middle of June
and customers will be able to access the Building Standards website
(www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Building/Building-standards)
and search for a list of Approved Certifiers.

Notes for Editors:

The Approved Certifier of Construction Scheme is operated by SNIPEF on
behalf of the Scottish Ministers.

Further details of the Approved Certifier of Construction Scheme are
available from the SNIPEF website www.snipef.org.

Picture of Stewart Stevenson, Minister presenting certificates to the
first Approved Certifiers in Scotland is available on request.

For further information on the scheme or this press release contact Alan Wilson, Head of Certification at SNIPEF on +44(0)131-225-2255, alan.wilson at snipef.org