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UK: HM Treasury published a National Infrastructure Plan for Skills: September 2015. The plan highlights the government’s view that: – – Over 250,000 construction and 150,000 engineering construction workers will be needed by 2020, driving a need to recruit and train nearly 100,000 additional workers – – The industry will need to retrain and up-skill around 250,000 of its existing workforce – – It is currently difficult for skilled workers to move easily between sectors and projects It sets five challenges for the future: providing leadership and co- ordination; improving supply and demand data; incentivising skills investment through procurement; improving mobility and existing workforce skills; and encouraging young people to join the industry, alongside greater diversity within it. the contract was made on a different basis from that contended for by Purton. The court however found that there was ‘substantial’ performance on both sides, with Purton doing works and Kilker making payments to the value of GBP 654,000. The judge therefore found it ‘unrealistic’ to suggest that there had been no legally binding agreement between the parties. One of the concerns of extending adjudication to oral contracts was whether an adjudicator would be able to decide whether an oral contract had been concluded, and if so on what basis, given the fact that adjudications are largely conducted on paper. September UK: In Purton (t/a Richwood Interiors) v Kilker Projects Ltd [2015] EWHC 2624 (TCC) the TCC had to decide whether to enforce an adjudicator’s decision arising out of an oral contract. The case involved a subcontractor (Purton) who had agreed to carry out joinery works for main contractor (Kilker). Although there was agreement as to the original scope and price of the works, a formal contract was not entered into. Purton subsequently initiated adjudication proceedings after its application for a GBP 150,000 payment remained unpaid and no notices were served in respect of it. The adjudicator decided that, in the absence of any notice, Kilker should pay the full amount. When Purton did not receive payment, it issued proceedings for enforcement of the decision. Kilker argued that there was no contract, or alternatively
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