What options are available to it and industry for the testing of structures and machinery to meet current engineering standards and health …

Building standards are contained in the Technical Standards for compliance with the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations 1990 as amended. The relevant standard is Technical Standard B2.2 which requires that the materials, fittings and components used in construction are suitably durable and fit for their intended purpose. For testing of structures, this means that the materials used normally require to be tested to relevant British or European Standards.
The Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 1992 (as amended), lay down special conformity assessment procedures for listed types of machinery. These require suppliers to make use of the services of expert bodies approved for this purpose by the Secretary of State. A list of the UK’s approved bodies for machinery can be found on the DTI website.
Health and safety requirements are a reserved matter. A range of health and safety regulations contain requirements on the testing of machinery.
Alternative structural testing facilities to that in the former National Engineering Laboratory are available elsewhere in the UK.