§ Mr. PorterTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the accreditation of ISO 9000 certification bodies. [20306]
§ Mr. Ian TaylorIn the context of ISO 9000, accreditation is the recognition by an authoritative body that certification bodies are competent to carry out specified tasks. In the UK the Government have granted that authority solely to UKAS (the United Kingdom Accreditation Service). A memorandum of understanding between my Department and UKAS sets out those activities for which UKAS is recognised by Government and gives UKAS certain rights and obligations. A separate licensing agreement gives UKAS the right to use and confer the DTI's National Accreditation Mark (the "Tick and Crown") which signifies Government recognition.
258WAccreditation by UKAS ensures that certification bodies have been independently assessed to agreed international standards of competence and impartiality by a body which is itself subject to regular assessment and to oversight by Government. The Government therefore encourage certification bodies to become accredited by UKAS. We also encourage companies and other organisations seeking certification to ISO 9000 to use the services of UKAS accredited certification bodies where these are an option. Only certification by a UKAS accredited body allows companies to be entered into the United Kingdom Register of Quality Assessed Companies and to display the national accreditation mark as an internationally acknowledged symbol of Government recognition.
As in most other commercial matters, it is for each certification body to decide whether to become accredited by UKAS. It is also for individual companies to decide whether to use the services of UKAS accredited certification bodies. This freedom of choice does not imply Government recognition of or support for the activities of certification bodies not accredited by UKAS. Equally, it does not imply any Government authority, recognition or support for the activities of any other UK organisation which may claim to act as an accreditation body in the context of ISO 9000.
Where UKAS accredited certification is available as an option, some purchasers will not accept certificates issued by bodies which are not accredited by UKAS because they have no assurance of the competence of those bodies. This can lead to additional cost for companies as purchasers ask for other evidence of compliance with ISO 9000. UKAS accreditation can, therefore, help to minimise industry's costs. It also helps to remove technical barriers to international trade because the Government have granted UKAS the sole right to negotiate mutual recognition agreements with other national accreditation bodies on behalf of the United Kingdom.
Accordingly, the Government advise all companies to look for the national accreditation mark when selecting a certification body. In the absence of the mark, companies should make detailed enquiries about the relationship between the certification body and UKAS before entering into any commitment.