Properly qualified and competent electricians in Scotland should be registered to protect consumers, according to energy minister Fergus Ewing.

Speaking at a major European conference in Edinburgh on Friday, Mr Ewing told electrical contractors, installers and building services experts from all over Europe that “we need to make sure that the public has confidence that when they choose an electrician they know that are using a properly qualified and competent tradesman”.

He added: “Strong, well thought-out and sensibly-policed regulation is in the interests of everyone in the construction sector and Scotland will continue to play its part in improving and promoting best practice across the board.”

Mr Ewing was speaking at the AIE-GCP Europe Installers Summit 2015 at the Radisson BLU Hotel on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, hosted by SELECT, the campaigning trade body for Scotland’s electrical sector.

The European Association of Electrical Contractors (AIE) comprises 20 national associations representing 175,000 contractors, a workforce of 900,000 and a turnover of €60 billion. It is a strong and multi-national voice speaking for the interests of the Industry within Europe.

GCP Europe is the voice of the efficient building engineering services, representing and promoting the interests of the Building Services Engineering Sector. It has 22 member associations in 18 countries.

SELECT’s managing director, Newell McGuiness, said: “It was a great honour to be able to welcome these major, multi-national organisations to Scotland for the AIE-GCP Summit and SELECT is pleased to support the minister’s stand on registration in the industry.”