Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 11
11
Requiring PAS and MCS certification, alongside Trustmark registration, was intended to protect homeowners from poor...
Conclusion
Requiring PAS and MCS certification, alongside Trustmark registration, was intended to protect homeowners from poor quality workmanship and fraud.29 However, gaining these certifications requires investment and time, which many installers were unwilling to do for only a 6-month scheme.30 At the Scheme’s launch, there were 880 potential installers registered with Trustmark, however, by November 2020 only 248 had registered to participate in the Scheme, eventually growing to 1,008 by August 2021.31 Many homeowners struggled to find installers who were willing to participate in the Scheme, and the Department acknowledged that in many areas there were not enough 20 Qq136, 138–142, 154–155, Note dated 1 October 2021 from Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy section 2–4 21 Qq 91, 99 22 Q103 23 Qq 39–40 24 C&AG’s report, paras 10–11 25 Q35 26 The Mineral Wool Insulation Manufacturers Association, page 2, MCS Certified and MCS Foundation, page 4–5 27 Qq 40, 42, 64 28 Qq 35, 41 29 Q60, 63 30 Q85 31 C&AG’s Report, paras 8, 2.11 12 Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme installers.32 Despite the challenges, some businesses did invest in order to participate; a survey by the Insulation Assurance Authority found that those who did invest spent an average of £87,000 getting set up for the scheme by gaining the necessary certifications, hiring staff, and promoting the scheme.33 Subsequent issues with the administration of the Scheme, however, such as the delays in issuing vouchers and making payments, meant that rather than expanding some firms reported having to lay off workers.34
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
3.2 The department recognises the impact that the shortened timescale had on officials’ ability to meaningfully engage with consumers and installers, and that the scheme administrator’s digital delivery complicated these processes. 3.3 The pace of the GHGv scheme delivery led to some policy design decisions that added complexity to the user experience. However, key elements of the scheme design were informed by important learnings from previous schemes, including the prioritisation of robust quality assurance and customer protection. 3.4 This necessarily drove the quality standard requirements for tradespeople to be registered with TrustMark and have the relevant trade certifications, in line with the recommendations set out in the 2016 Each Home Counts (EHC) review. The department remains committed to implementing the outcomes of the EHC review and the importance of high standards in retrofit, including the transition to the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2030/2035:2019, which represent an industry-wide approach to ensuring quality home retrofit and consumer protection. 3.5 Nevertheless, it is recognised that policy implementation can be improved. For each proposed policy development, the department aims to undertake robust public consultation to gather views of potentially affected stakeholders and seek feedback from consumers on the effectiveness of policy implementation. 3.6 All policy development is underpinned by the Policy Profession Standards, which defines the skills and knowledge required from all UK Civil Servants involved in policy work. Lessons learned from the GHGv scheme are being shared across the department and will inform the development of future schemes.