T H E V O I C E O F T H E I N D U S T R Y
CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYERS FEDERATION UPDATES MEMBERS ON ONGOING ISSUES…
Construction Employers Federation (CEF) represents the interests of not only its member companies but those of roughly 65,000 skilled workers engaged within the wider construction sector. CEF Managing Director, Mark Spence, discusses some of the issues the Federation is currently working on: Work in progress
The publication of the draft Strategy – whose consultation closes in mid-April – is welcome as it seeks to identify solutions to many of the challenges our sector faces, not least in proposing practical changes to the infrastructure pipeline over the coming 5-10 years so that the construction industry can have greater confidence in it. It is undoubted that Northern Ireland faces a multiplicity of challenges with respect to the next era of infrastructure funding, investment and delivery. From the repercussions of Brexit to the recovery from the Covid pandemic, to dealing with the effects of climate change, to making sure we have the appropriate type of housing available for an ageing population, we will have to consider infrastructure in a way that we have not done before. That requires an ambitious Investment Strategy, but equally one that is politically and financially realistic. Bridging that funding gap can only be achieved by agreeing and delivering more fundamental structural reforms to areas such as the governance and financing arrangements of the Housing Executive and NI Water. Without these over the coming Assembly and Executive mandate, we will not be able to meet the laudable objectives in this draft Strategy. INVESTMENT STRATEGY FOR NORTHERN IRELAND (ISNI) – CONSULTATION OPENS
Mark Spence, Construction Employers Federation (CEF) Managing Director.
EDUCATION MINISTER ANNOUNCEMENT
MAJOR CAPITAL WORKS PROJECTS: EDUCATION MINISTER ANNOUNCEMENT
The CEF gave a strong welcome to the Education Minister’s statement at the end of March, on a further programme of major works to advance in planning and support the delivery of modern, fit-for-purpose schools. The Minister announced 28 schools are to advance under the major capital works programme – with a capital investment of
£794m - subject to that level of capital resource being available to the Department toward the end of this decade and into the next. Given our sector’s need to see a strong pipeline of public work, the Minister’s statement is very important in giving the industry confidence in the future investment in our education estate.
KEEPING UP THE PRESSURE ON RED DIESEL
As the 1 April date approached for the demise of the rebate on red diesel, CEF continued to lobby the Chancellor and local politicians to seek a deferment or other mitigation. CEF wrote again to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak and spoke with Construction Minister Lee Rowley explaining the impact that the rebate removal will have on local construction, seeking a phased approach over a number of years to mitigate the step-change in costs.
We also joined forces with fellow organisations in lobbying efforts at Westminster and vocalising the concerns around site
security, exacerbated by the current rising costs of fuel.
CEF’s legal patrons, Mills Selig has provided a guide to understanding your contractual position with regards to recovery of additional costs arising from this change in law: https://www.cefni.co.uk/ news/mills-selig-advisory-note- onred-diesel-reform
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