To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of the inspection requirement for the purposes of accreditation by BRE under the microgeneration certification scheme is based on paperwork. (318133)

The proportion of time spent on inspection requirements for the Microgeneration Certifications Scheme (MCS) installer scheme varies from assessment to assessment, depending on the level and standard of quality management systems already in place.

BRE Global, along with other MCS certification bodies, look for evidence that an installer company meets MCS 001 which includes requirements to assess the Installation Quality Control (IQC). Written procedures, which need to be systematically followed in each installation, ensure that all MCS installations meet consistent standards.

MCS installer standards also require a certification body, such as BRE, to inspect an installation, e.g. a small wind turbine, to determine the competency of the installer company.

All the requirements of the MCS scheme for installer companies are set out at:

http://www.microgenerationcertification.org/Product +Manufacturers+and+Installers/Installers

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average cost to a microgeneration scheme installer of complying with the standards required by the microgeneration certification scheme. (318134)

It is not possible to provide a meaningful average cost for MCS certification of installer companies, as the costs for installer companies to become certificated under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) are dependent on a number of factors.

Costs for installer companies relate to the fixed rates of the certification body undertaking the assessment; the number of technologies being assessed; the cost of training requirements and the amount of work a company needs to do to put in place quality control procedures.

There are additional costs relating to mandatory membership of an MCS consumer code which meets OFT requirements. There is also an annual MCS administration fee (£100). To ensure the ongoing robustness of the scheme and that standards are maintained, MCS installer companies are also subject to annual surveillance visits.

The fees charged by MCS certification bodies are published on their respective websites. For contact details of all MCS certification bodies see:

http://www.microgenerationcertification.org/Certification+Bodies