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The government is to extend the quality mark, its anti-cowboy builder initiative, to Scotland if a local industry scheme is not successful.

The move comes after the Scottish parliament called for a review of measures to tackle rogue traders last week.

Construction minister Brian Wilson has written to Scottish enterprise minister Lewis Macdonald, urging him to introduce the quality mark in Scotland.

Scottish trade associations set up their own anti-cowboy scheme, called the Scottish Construction Licensing Authority, in October last year.

Macdonald told the Scottish parliament last week that he welcomed the industry's self-regulation initiative as a positive step towards driving up standards in the industry.

However, he added that the self-regulation of the Scottish construction industry needed to be compatible with the DTI's quality mark scheme.

The DTI could still introduce the quality mark in Scotland

Lewis Macdonald, Scottish enterprise minister

He said: "The DTI retains the option to introduce the quality mark scheme in Scotland if the local scheme doesn't work. We will continue to talk to our colleagues in the UK government about the possibility of a joint approach."

A DTI spokesperson said that the devolution of powers meant that it was up to Scottish executive ministers to decide whether the quality mark scheme was to be extended to Scotland.

The Scottish Construction Licensing Authority includes representatives from consumer, insurance and union bodies. It is lobbying for secondary legislation from the Scottish executive's building control division to bolster its scheme.

However, the Scottish executive is concerned that the SCLA does not include third-party accreditation, which is why it is considering the quality mark system of independent qualification.

In a motion brought forward last week, Labour MSP Marilyn Livingstone called for the Scottish executive to carry out a strategic review of construction in Scotland.