Section 7: Verifiers and certifiers
29.Subsection (1) makes provision for the Scottish Ministers to appoint verifiers, approved certifiers of design and approved certifiers of construction.
30.Subsection (2)provides that members of approved schemes run by bodies outwith the Scottish Executive may exercise the functions of approved certifiers of design or of construction. Subsection (3) gives the Scottish Ministers the power to approve such schemes subject to limitations, e.g. they may approve a scheme only in relation to a particular geographical area or type of building. Under this subsection they may also withdraw approval of such schemes.
31.Under subsections (4) to (6) Ministers must keep lists of verifiers and certifiers and hold information on which functions they are allowed to carry out, including any restrictions or limitations on the exercise of those functions. The lists must be made available for public inspection at reasonable times.
32.Under subsection (7) Ministers may carry out the role of verifier to the extent and in the circumstances specified in a direction issued by them. This would enable them, for example, to act as verifiers in relation to buildings of a particular description, or a particular building.
33.Subsection (8) provides for Ministers to direct a verifier to refer to them certain building warrant applications and submitted completion certificates. This power may be exercised after a verifier has begun the verification process for a particular job i.e. where a building warrant has been applied for but not approved or where a completion certificate has been submitted but not accepted or rejected by the verifier. Subsection (9) stipulates the circumstances under which Ministers may exercise this power. Those are where a verifier requests that Ministers take the job over or where Ministers consider that a verifier is incapable, for whatever reason, of exercising its function in a particular case. A verifier might, for example, request Ministers to take over its role in relation to verifying the compliance with building regulations of a unique building (e.g., an air traffic control centre) which it lacks the competence to verify. Ministers might also exercise the power where a verifier is not acting competently in relation to the verification of a particular project or series of projects.
34.Subsections (10) and (11) provide that Ministers may give verifiers directions as to the exercise of their functions under the Act and that these directions may apply to all verifiers, particular verifiers or verifiers of a particular description. For example, a direction under subsection (10) might stipulate the frequency of site inspections required to fulfil the verification role or might require a particular verifier to pay particular attention to a specified aspect e.g. checking the maintenance of a Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems following a flood.
35.Schedule 2 makes further provision about verifiers and certifiers.
