YOUR FMB POLICY & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Parliamentary reception The FMB held its annual reception at the Houses of Parliament in September to direct politicians’ attention to the issues that matter most to our members. The reception, which was held in the House of Lords, was attended by MPs and Peers from many of the major political parties, including the Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business, Kevin Hollinrake MP, and champion of licensing in construction, Mark Garnier MP. Members in attendance had the chance to speak directly with the MPs in an informal setting to let them know first- hand the challenges they are facing with their businesses. We pushed for a clear focus on the campaign to licence builders and improve standards, and we can see the clear market need for regulation as the UK looks to retrofit homes for energy efficiency.
with industry stakeholders about how to shape the future of the construction sector. Whilst Maclean was keen to tackle planning issues and see more homes built, nothing was said by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on the topic of delivering more homes. This was in stark contrast to Sir Keir Starmer in his address to the Labour Party, with delivering more homes being a key pillar of his election strategy. The FMB will keep a sharp eye on the upcoming election and on the main political parties’ commitments to ensure small, local construction firms are part of the solution to kick-start the UK economy. Homes England Review A review of Homes England is currently taking place, and the FMB has provided a submission as part of the call for evidence. We are keen to see significant improvements including: considerations of the feasibility of providing funding pre-planning for house builders with good trading history; and looking at solutions to hand over smaller plots of land to SMEs when available through a Homes England scheme. The FMB has also communicated members’ opinions on: receiving better support to overcome administrative hurdles; mentoring programmes to spread best practice; introducing effective small sites registers to help SMEs access land in all communities; and helping repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) companies switch to house building.
FMB Chief Executive Brian Berry at the Labour Party conference
The FMB’s latest engagement with the Government and other important stakeholders to promote members’ voices IN YOUR INTERESTS
Meeting the Housing Minister
Political party conferences The FMB was present in
The FMB met with Minister for Housing and Planning Rachel Maclean MP in Westminster in September to voice concerns with the housing market and raise issues that SME house builders face with the existing planning system.
The FMB also discussed the Government’s plans to address the ongoing skills crisis, asking how the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) will improve interaction between SMEs and Homes England.
Liverpool and Manchester for the Labour and Conservative Party conferences, with Chief Executive Brian Berry appearing on high-profile discussion panels at both events. Attending party conferences provides the FMB with opportunities to highlight the work our members do and to help shape the debate on the future of building and construction policy in the UK. Berry met with Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, as well as Housing Minister Rachel Maclean MP and Shadow Housing Minister Angela Rayner, making the case for positive change for the industry. The FMB also held meetings
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt shakes hands with FMB Chief Executive Brian Berry
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Master Builder
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